Sercial

Sercial is the palest, lightest, and driest Madeira, but matures to a rich, yet crisp, savoury flavour with the sharp tang of acidic spices and citrus fruits. It has a very late maturation, being normally the last grape variety to be picked. The grape is grown in diminishing quantities at the southern end of the island at Jardim da Serra, above Estreito de Câmara de Lobos at altitudes reaching 600m – 700m high and on the north coast around Porto Moniz and Seixal (where its name comes from), where it is planted a lower altitudes, at 150 – 200 metres. After phylloxera devastated Madeira’s vineyards, the grape became more common on the mainland.

In Madiera The legal limit for residual sugar is 18–65 grams per litre (the bottom end of this range tastes bone dry when balanced against an alcohol level of 17 percent in such an intensely flavoured wine, and even 40 grams per litre can seem dry). The difficulties they encounter ripening, make for tart base wines. These in turn lead to tangy, elegant Madeiras with a bracing grip.
Verdelho and especially Sercial styles are fermented to, or near, dryness. The non varietals that are marked as “fine dry” or just “dry” usually contain a good part of Sercial or Verdelho.
Makes an excellent aperitif, and, at 18 or 19% ABV, is best served in smaller glasses. Nice with olives, smoked salmon sort of drink. Sercial is particularly pleasant with goats cheese and other dry astringent cheeses such as feta, and it is also good with Chinese foods, much like, but of course, at the same time, totally different, a Sancerre or the Loire Pouilly Fume.

Sercial and other dry Madeiras, should be served cool. As these wines tend to be light bodied and with a high level of natural acidity, these wines are at their most refreshing without losing any of their character when served at low temperatures. A temperature range of between 9ºC and 10ºC (48ºF – 50ºC) is ideal.

See also Madeira, Boal, Malvasia, Verdelho, Tinta Negra Mole.