One of the authors “must buys” on the regular visits to Madeira is a Barbeito 10 year old Sercial and something every self respecting wine lover should keep in the fridge for an aperitif and with a surprising range of foods.
This Barbeito Sercial is crisp, smooth and very enjoyable as an aperitif or with fish or even chicken dishes and served chilled or lightly chilled is my preference.
The almost curry note of the wine ensures it is not overwhelmed by more spicy foods…..this is really a wine to experiment with and try with more exotic and fragrant foods from the east.
This is a wonderful wine for drinking not admiring….Sercial comes of age at 10 years, and this one is a treat. The highly renowned wine shippers Berry Brothers and Rudd of St James London stock this wine as their 10 year Sercial of choice, describing it thus:
“Driest of the styles, yet one which manages to combine, with effortless whimsy, a certain intellectual formality with a broad luxuriant structure.”
Simon Field MW – Wine Buyer, Berry Brothers and Rudd
Other tasters have noted figs, orange peel, minerality and sea breezes in Barberito superlative Sercial.
Barbeito is in Camara de Lobos, its wines are found in several supermarkets and specialist retailers. Barbeito are usually to be found at the Madeira wine festival where their range of wines can be tasted, and I usually place my order for a 10 year old Sercial.
You can read more about this most interesting grape and what food stuffs best accompany Sercial