RWC Historic Series 'Charleston' Sercial, Madeira DOC

RWC Historic Series 'Charleston' Sercial, Madeira DOC

Item Number: 326

UPC: 0-828116000345

Country: Portugal
Region: Madeira
Sub Region: Madeira
Appellation/AVA: Madeira DOC
Estate Grown Wine: No
Grape(s): 85% Sercial / 15% Tinto Negra Mole
Type: Wine - Sherry & Madeira (Fortified)
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 19
Residual Sugar(g/L): <2 %
Soil Type: Volcanic, on steep, terraced hillsides

History: The RWC Historic Series represents a close collaboration between The Rare Wine Co. and Vinhos Barbeito. First conceived in 1998, the goal from the beginning was to produce a series of affordable varietal Madeiras that possess the magical qualities of great Vintage Madeira. Each wine is made up 85% of the stated varietal, selected from parcels of wine 10 to 20 years old. The remaining 15% is very old Tinta Negro Mole, 40 to 60 years of age, which gives the wines much of their aged vintage character. Each wine is named for an American seaport where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. The labels feature early engravings and historic information, further evoking a sense of Madeira’s towering importance in American history.

Aging: The best Madeiras, including those in the Historic Series, spend years or decades in large barrels of various sizes, subject to substantial yearly swings in temperature (a method called canteiro ). This time is what gives the wines their unique personalities.

'Charleston' Sercial Tasting Notes: This Sercial shows the strong acidity and nutty flavors that have always marked great vintage Sercial. Superb as an aperitif or with soup and cheese courses.

About Sercial Madeira: Sercial is grown at high elevations (up to one-half mile above sea level) and is the last variety harvested, usually in October or early November. The wine is fermented to relative dryness (less than 1.5% sugar remaining) and then brandy is added to raise it to between 17% and 20% alcohol. The taste of a fine Vintage Sercial is crisp and racy, its slight sweetness balanced by an exhilarating, mouthwatering tang of acidity. It is not only an extraordinary aperitif or after-dinner wine, it is the only Vintage Madeira that can be considered a dinner wine as well, traditionally being consumed with the soup course. A Sercial begins its life pale in color, but over the course of a century deepens and darkens to amber.

Reviews

  • John Gilman View from the Cellar
    Rating: 94 (3/1/2014)
    I really like the Rare Wine Company’s Charleston Sercial bottling, which is one of my favorites in their fine historic Madeira bottling series. This wine only has one percent residual sugar, which with Madeira’s inherent tangy acids, comes across as quite dry, but beautifully buffered. The bouquet is a first class blend of white cherries, oranges, a touch of nutskin, fresh nutmeg, smoky overtones and a lovely base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and beautifully transparent, with a superb core, racy acids and stunning tension and purity on the superbly focused and very long finish. This is really a terrific bottle! 2010-2060+.
  • Vinous
    Rating: 92 (12/6/2022)
    The Madeira Charleston Sercial Special Reserve is a light-bodied, floral Madeira. Dried flowers, mint, cinnamon, pine, cedar and mint are nicely delineated. Vineyards at elevation yield grapes that are harvested late at relatively lower sugars, yielding a Madeira that is especially dry. There's good complexity here. The Sercial is a fine choice for readers who appreciate the drier style of Madeira.