Vintage Madeira Sercial

A gorgeous nutty, sherried nose. So complex and intense with great length and freshness. Lovely

So good! Need to drink more Madeira

Smashing! So harmonious and relatively pure/clean. VA adds the perfect lift, balanced components throughout. Keen acid, so youthful in its vibrancy and life. Almost Scotch-esqe with its peaty/earthy tones. It’s spiced, like walking through an exotic spice market. The length and finish incredible, wrapping everything up with roasted walnuts, honey, and succulent dried fruit. Drinks like a great aged Cognac or Armagnac.

Fucking dope

Buttered pecan, walnut liquor, raisin and mushroom. Sweeter and with less bite than other styles of sercial. A delight

Terrific complexity and acidity, notes of hazelnut, raisin and brown sugar with a hint of orange peel.

Roasted cashews, raisin and toffee

Delicious, coffee and burnt toffee. Amazing sipper.

How else to warm up for a trade tasting of invigorating Champagne this afternoon? Penetrating Sercial Madeira from the year that brought us the Boy Scouts of America. If wine were merit badges perhaps I'd nearly be an Eagle by now... After this evening's tasting I'll have quite a heavy merit badge sash for Champagne -an obsession that can reach no surfeit -it becomes more fascinating and evermore nuanced. For the moment however I'm awash in crushed kumquats in honey, marmalade, hazelnuts and roast peanuts -all layered among so much more in one of the richest Sercial Madeiras I've tried to date.

Showing better this time with fermented peaches in the mix with the citrus, nuts and zesty brine.