NV Blandy's Madeira Sercial 5 Years Old

Community Tasting Notes (27) Avg Score: 88.1 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Paul852's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/24/2023 - Paul852 Likes this wine:

  Forceberry describes this wine in great detail and in line with my experience. The two things I would add are that for me it's better after it's been open for a day or two (losing a slight alcohol heat) and secondly, as suggested on the producer's website, it really does pair well with Indian cuisine (rather much to my and my (Indian) wife's surprise).
  
  It seems a bit over-priced here in Hong Kong at ~US$35; at the CAV of ~US$23 this would be a big repeat buy for me.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View forceberry's profile
  • Report Issue

  8/30/2022 - forceberry wrote: 88 Points

  100% Sercial made with purchased fruit sourced from vineyardsin Porto Moniz, Seixal and Câmara de Lobos. The grapes fermented spontaneously starts in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. After 5-6 days of fermentation, the must is rectified to approx. 20% ABV with 96% ABV grape spirit to halt the fermentation. The fortified wine is transferred to old American oak casks which are moved to age in Canteiros, ie. in warm warehouses in which the wines age in casks that are never topped up. This wine is an indicative blend of multiple vintages, older and younger, with the aim of recreating a wine that has been aged for approximately 5 years in casks. Bottled fined and lightly filtered. 19% alcohol, approx. 50 g/l residual sugar and approx. 6 g/l acidity.
  
  Luminous golden yellow color with a nutty-brown hue. The nose is somewhat oxidative with aromas of chopped walnuts, some bruised Granny Smith apple, a little bit of lemony citrus fruits, light grain whisky tones, a hint of caramel and a sharp touch of rancio. The wine is relatively mellow and gentle for a Sercial with some alcohol warmth, a medium body and medium-sweet flavors of orange, some oxidative notes of caramel and nutty rancio, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light bruised apple tones and a sweeter hint of dried fruits. Bright high acidity. The overall feel is harmonious, but also quite linear for a Madeira. The finish is quite long with medium-dry flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some caramel, a little bit of nutty rancio and roasted walnuts, light sharp notes of green apples, a hint of orange and a touch of bruised apple.
  
  An enjoyably fresh and complex but also a bit linear and mellow Sercial. Several sources say that the sweeter varieties work much better with younger Madeiras and drier styles (Sercial, Verdelho, Terrantez) start to really shine only with age (ie. +20 yo blends and Frasqueiras). The more I taste these younger Madeiras, the more I agree - while I do enjoy the freshness and zip Sercials normally show, these young wines come across as more linear and somewhat simple than the sweeter versions, which pack a bit more complexity already in their youth. Especially Sercial seems to develop more complexity only as it becomes more concentrated with extended aging. This was pretty lovely, but nothing special enough to make me seek it out specifically - at this age level (ie. price point) I'd go for the sweeter styles; if I wanted a Sercial, I'd pick something with more age. And do note that the wine does not develop any further in the bottle, so any further cellaring won't improve the wine from here - although the wine won't suffer from any cellaring either. Drink or keep. Priced according to its quality at 9,35€ for a half bottle.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Heynetty's profile
  • Report Issue

  6/3/2022 - Heynetty wrote:

  D5 DipWSET FORTIFIED WINES - home prep; 6/2/2022-6/3/2022: A: Pale amber
  N: Medium (+) nose of dried apricot, sultanas, caramel, walnut ....the alcohol dominates the smell
  P: Medium sweet, high acidity, high alcohol, medium (+) intensity and medium finish
  C: Alcohol is really not well integrated here. The intensity of dried fruit and burnet sugars come to a rather abrupt halt. The wine lacks complexity. THis is a good quality wine but the balance and finish would have to improve if this were to become an outstanding quality wine.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Tony Ling's profile
  • Report Issue

  2/15/2022 - Tony Ling Likes this wine: 92 Points

  PNP into ISO tasting glass ("Leaf" day): Medium orange copper to the eyes.
  
  Caramel, soy, dried, berry fruit. Hints of nail polish.
  
  Off-dry palate, quite mellow and rich. 92-93 points.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View Halfeel's profile
  • Report Issue

  12/25/2021 - Halfeel wrote: 87 Points

  Not my favorite Madeira. Good in sauces and to add richness to turkey gravy for Thanksgiving.

  Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment

View all 27 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.