N.V. Rare Wine Co. Madeira Charleston Sercial

N.V. Rare Wine Co. (Vinhos Barbeito) Madeira Sercial Historic Series Charleston Sercial Special Reserve

My first Madeira, lovely burnished orange color, volatile caramel nose. palate of nuts, maple, burnt sugar, graded 'sweet' to tart, front to back (!), everything but alkaline. Impressively intense but ethereally light, finish is even more robust, a burst of acid (sweetarts?) and on and on for a very long time indeed. A meal (at least desert) in itself, profound and satisfying. I wonder what the real vintage stuff tastes like.

The vintage stuff is better, for sure. More intense. But RWC Madeira is very fine.

I used the Charleston Sercial last night to flavor my chestnut soup that I'm serving Thanksgiving.

[Jenise]

I'm a fan, too. And the sercial had me totally bewitched: but then I tasted the Bual. OH MY. You must try this, too!

I'm something of a Madeira fan, though of course I don't have access to the Charleston. Interesting that someone uses it with soup. I do too. In fact I love teasing the French with it!! I make either a French Onion soup or a Cepe consommé and serve it with a little Bin 22 Sercial from El Vino in London. Splendid combination, and one which is a total revelation to people here who have only ever tasted the gut rot passing for Madeira sold by Cruz and used for cooking kidneys in. Yeuch.

Ian, that's funny. I would have thought UK would have really good Madeira like you do Port.

I would have thought UK would have really good Madeira like you do Port.

Doesn't Ian live in France?

[Jenise]

I would have thought UK would have really good Madeira like you do Port.

Doesn't Ian live in France?

Yes. Bernie is confusing long-standing member Ian Sutton with newcomer Ian H.

I'm a fan, too. And the sercial had me totally bewitched: but then I tasted the Bual. OH MY. You must try this, too!

Thanks to all of you for the encouragement!

Jenise, the Baul is supposed to be a sweeter wine, is it not? I am apparently really sensitive to secondary sweetness (alcohol, for example). I found this sercial to have a distinctly sweet palate, although I admit the finish was almost alarmingly tart.

I've had the RWC "Boston" Bual on two occasions, and both times I though it was good, but it didn't wow me. I've told myself sense that, okay, I just need to get a really fine Madeira sometime. But, the RWC series is supposed to be really fine Madeira. I've been afraid that perhaps Madeira doesn't appeal to me, which would be strange, considering how forgiving I am of oxidized and over-mature wines.

... which would be strange, considering how forgiving I am of oxidized and over-mature wines.

Hi, Ryan,

I can hardly claim any expertise from one bottle, but FWIW I detect no flavor of oxidation in this Madeira, so perhaps this is not the issue (I also am a fan of oxidized wines, vin jaune, Sherry, traditional white Rioja...). The intensity and spread of flavor I think is most like aged Sherry, like many olorosos but with a much lighter body, more fruit and overt sweetness, and that tremendous acidity. My reaction to these extreme wines is to not judge too quickly, I have found charms within that only appeared to me after trying a few examples (not to mention the typical evolution over several hours, days, weeks!).

This spring I'm going to do a Sherry and Madeira tasting for friends, and was planning on getting the Blandy's 5-yr old Sercial, Bual, and Malmsey. I'm hoping those will give me a sense of what Madeira can be.

The Blandy's 1920 vintage Bual is one of my favorite Madeiras. The intense perfume from one glass can fill an entire room.

One of the best things about vintage Madeira is that it's practically immortal.

-Paul W.