For this month I wanted to have two of the drier versions I like the most. But they still could be considered off-dry with 40 (ish) gr/l of residual sugar – (well below Coca Cola level and 1000 times more delicious)
The first one, Barbeito Delvino 5 Years Old Reserve, Tinta Negra and Sercial aged in French oak casks for 5 years by Canteiro method, which means the wine has not been put to accelerated Estufagem heating process, but to age in American oak casks in the warm attics, with some degree of deliberate oxidation (casks not 100% filled).
Tinta Negra (or Negramoll!) is the most planted autochthonous grape of Madeira, and Sercial is one of the “noble” grapes (for premium wines) together with Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia.
This wine has hints of nuts, citric and fine herbs with a lovely clean finish.
The other, Justino’s 10 Years Old Sercial is a “fantastico” dry Madeira wine aged between 10 to 14 years in old American and French oak casks. Like an Amontillado Sherry. Sercial is also known in Portugal as Esgana Cão (dog strangler!?) due to its high acidity (ouchhh) that is very evident in this vino balancing the sweetness well. The wine is full bodied and rich.