Pereira d'Oliveira ‘Sercial’ Colheita 1999 | Madeira, Portugal

A rare single-vintage (Colheita) Madeira from one of the oldest and most respected producers on the island. This 1999 Sercial was aged in old cask and only bottled in 2013, giving it nearly 14 years of oxidative aging before release.

Expect lifted aromas of toasted almonds, citrus peel, sea spray, and varnished wood. The palate is bone dry, with brilliant acidity and complex layers of orange rind, dried fig, salted caramel, roasted nuts, and smoky mineral tang. Long, savoury, and built to last forever—but drinking beautifully now.

D’Oliveira’s wines are legendary for their longevity and depth, and this bottling is no exception. If you’ve never tried dry Madeira, this is a benchmark.

With age comes a fuller array of complex wood-volatile-ester secondaries: here, the beautiful smell of an old cricket bat embalmed in linseed oil, along with deep grilled nut edged by citrus rind, with brandy snap and ginger cookie touches. In the mouth, marmalade and grilled nut lead into a rainwater shower of juicy acid so typical of these beautiful wines.

Firm spirit dryness gives the mid-palate a hold, at which point it's almost peaty sweet and then comes a long, fine earthily dry end, which is almost ruler-straight, but gentle - unforced, and not forceful, a wine of considerable grace.

NERD NOTES

Founded in 1890, Pereira D'Oliveiras is the most traditional of houses. Their wines are the most concentrated and earthy of Madeiras, yet brilliantly fresh and persistent. Nowadays, PDO is run by Luis D'Oliveira, one of 3 brothers in the partnership, direct descendants of founder, Jaão Pereira D'Oliveira. Fellow 5th generation family member Anibal D'Oliveira (with his son Felipe), is the winemaker. Each year, they buy fruit from about 140 growers in various parts of the island. Production per annum is about 150,000 litres, but the bodega's holdings of mature wine total around 1.5 million litres of rare old gear in addition to current commercial reserves.