Winemaker Notes
Bright and deep, this edition could easily be mistaken for Verdelho but for the saline/sea smoke signature of its Sercial fruit. More off-dry than dry, its caramelized apricot, tangerine and almond flavors mask impressive extract, the result of its extended time in canteiro.
Drink as an aperitif and at the table with oysters, sushi, grilled shrimp, swordfish and salmon or try with hard cheeses, olives and nuts.
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
How many foods can you match to this sercial? The honeycomb scent might direct you to an aged sheep’s milk cheese. The laser-like note of shiso leaf would meld into lobster-enriched red miso soup. The luscious, completely savory, dried cherry flavor ghosts on for minutes, as it would alongside a creamy chestnut soup. This wine’s purity of flavor makes it delicious, and if you sit with a glass, you might come up with a string of different dishes it makes you hunger for. And as you sit with a glass, you might notice how the freshness of the wine’s tight weave makes it grand.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2001 Single Harvest Sercial is from a grape that is usually vinified with less sugar, in this case 53 grams, and notable acidity (9.07 grams of tartaric acid per liter of wine), and it has some oxidative notes and bright acidity. This has the complexity and the sugar, acidity and alcohol in balance, with more acidity and less alcohol and sugar than is usual for the Sercial grape. It has a pungent nose, with complexity and some volatility (0.9 grams) balanced by the notes of the caramelized sugar, and there are notes of dry hay, some spices and a note reminiscent of some Sherries. Rating: 92+
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
A steep, volcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean that rises to over 6,000 feet at its highest point, Madeira actually sits closer to Morocco than Portugal, the country to which it belongs.
Today the vineyards of the island cover tiny step-like terraces called poios, carved from the basalt bedrock. Aptly named Madeira, this fortified wine comes in two main styles. Blended Madeira is mostly inexpensive wine but there are a few remarkable aged styles. Single varietal Madeira (made from Sercial, Verdelho, Boal or Malmsey), is usually the highest quality and has the potential to improve in the bottle for decades.