1989 Sercial

Produced from high altitude vines at Jardim da Serra at Camara de Lobos, Pereira d’Oliveira made 5,800 liters of the 1989 Sercial that was aged in oak casks. It appears to show more caramel on the nose than it did back in April 2010. The palate is sharp with racy acidity. Notes of toffee, tobacco and nutmeg abound, while the salty tang on the finish offers freshness and intrigue. This is a delightful, simple Sercial. It was in 1850 that Joao Pereira d’Oliveira founded his company. He initially sold wines to other shippers, and it was not until the 1970s that they began to sell Madeira wines under their own label (though they continued to sell and buy lots, to and from other shippers.) It is a small company, but there are plentiful stocks of reserve wines. Their policy is to bottle on demand, which means their vintage wines can invariably benefit from extended cask aging. Let us begin with their reserve wines, which are mainly Tinta Negra Mole and are matured under estufugem. Importer: The Rare Wine Company, Sonoma, CA; Tel: (203) 457-1431; Fax: (203) 457- 4471