Blandy's : Sercial Vintage 1990

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for the Sercial Vintage 1990 Blandy's

Tasting

Appearance

The Sercial Vintage 1990 displays an amber colour accented by golden highlights, both brilliant and perfectly clear.

Nose

The nose unveils a characteristic bouquet, led by ethereal touches reminiscent of infused eau-de-vie, candied citrus fruits, spicy accents evoking ginger and notes of dried fruits recalling walnut.

Palate

The palate is dry and wonderfully fresh, giving way to a long finish of lightly sweetened bitter orange and aged brandy notes.

Food and wine pairing

This Madeira is ideally enjoyed as an aperitif, yet it is equally suited to a contemplative tasting, served on its own to fully appreciate its aromatic depth.

Serving and cellaring

After a few years in bottle, the Sercial Vintage 1990 may develop a natural deposit; it is therefore recommended to decant it to remove any sediment. It should be stored upright, away from light, in a cool, dry place at a constant temperature, ideally below 16°C.

Sercial Vintage 1990: The Expression of a Great Madeira Crafted by Blandy's

The estate

The Blandy's brand was founded in 1811 on the island of Madeira, Portugal. Two centuries and seven generations later, the Blandy family remains the only founding dynasty of the Madeira trade still to own and run its own house. Today, Chris Blandy, the family's seventh generation, chairs the Madeira Wine Company, in which the family retains the majority of shares alongside Symington Family Estates, the minority shareholder. This unique family continuity gives Blandy's a strong identity, shaped by tradition and viticultural rigour.

The vineyard

The grapes for this Sercial come mainly from the Portuguese areas of Jardim da Serra and the north coast of Madeira, two zones renowned for their cool climate, which suits this demanding grape variety. The vines are trained on trellises, on volcanic soils made up of basalt, trachytes, tuffs and conglomerates. The harvest, exclusively by hand, relies on a quality-driven selection staggered over several weeks, so that the grapes are picked only at full maturity.

Winemaking and ageing

This Sercial Vintage 1990 was born from the harvest overseen by winemaker Francisco Albuquerque, who was also responsible for its bottling in 2023. This Terras Madeirenses wine was aged using the traditional “canteiro” method, in 650-litre casks at ambient temperature, until the very month of its bottling, representing more than thirty years of patience before its release.

Grape variety

This Madeira wine is crafted from Sercial, the emblematic grape variety of the driest and most vibrant Madeiras.