Rare Wine Company, 'Historic Series Charleston,' Sercial Special Reserve, Madeira, Portugal, NV

Overview of the Wine
The Rare Wine Co is recognized as one of America’s premier wine merchants, in the dual roles of national importer and retailer. We represent more than thirty iconic producers exclusively for either California or the U.S. We also vigorously champion several dozen others whose wines and philosophy we deeply admire, and support our belief in them with an unparalleled library of wines dating back decades.

Finally, over the past quarter century, we have been fierce advocates for wines and regions we believed were neglected in the world spotlight. Thanks in part to our work, wines ranging from Chablis and Cote Rotie to old Champagne and traditional Rioja enjoy far more prestige today than they did when we founded our company.

We have even helped restore to prominence wines threatened with virtual extinction. Today, both Madeira and traditionally made Barolo are thriving in part because of The Rare Wine Co.’s passionate advocacy. And, through our pioneering work with estate-grown Tuscan olive oil, we’ve established new standards for the selection and care of extra virgin olive oil, regardless of its origin.

Grape / Blend
100% Sercial

Origin
Madeira, Portugal

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
This is the driest wine in the series and a wine that has been served throughout meals in America for nearly 300 years. Chef Mario Batali won over 1000+ guests at the 2009 New York Wine Experience by boldly pairing Charleston Sercial with a wild boar dish of Wolfgang Puck’s creation.

Just two weeks later, in the Wall Street Journal, Alice Feiring picked the same Madeira as a wine of choice for chestnut soup, noting that it “is like a salted caramel without its sugar.”

But Mario and Alice were not the first to discover Charleston Sercial’s charms. In 2005, Grant Achatz, whom many believe is America’s most inventive chef, attracted national press for his cutting-edge pairings of Charleston Sercial with dishes at Alinea in Chicago. 

94 Points - John Gilman
This wine only has one percent residual sugar, which with Madeira’s inherent tangy acids, comes across as quite dry, but beautifully buffered. The bouquet is a first class blend of white cherries, oranges, a touch of nutskin, fresh nutmeg, smoky overtones and a lovely base of soil. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and beautifully transparent, with a superb core, racy acids and stunning tension and purity on the superbly focused and very long finish. This is really a terrific bottle!

93 Points - Wine Enthusiast
The Historic Series are simply great Madeiras at reasonable prices. The Charleston Sercial is the driest of the collection, offering nutty aromas tinged with honey, caramel and maple syrup. Dried figs, honey and candied citrus flavors mark the palate, which is wonderfully smooth. The long finish features racy yet balanced acidity. *Editors' Choice* 

92 Points - Int'l Wine Cellar
Medium amber. Gingerbread, orange zest, clove, blond tobacco and honey on the nose. Spicy citrus and poached pear flavors are lifted by zesty acidity and show a gentle smoky quality on the back end. Blends sweetness and dryness smoothly, finishing with good nervy cut, a jolt of fleur de sel and lingering smoke, citrus and spice notes. 

92 Points - Vinous
The Madeira Charleston Sercial Special Reserve is a light-bodied, floral Maderia. Dried flowers, mint, cinnamon, pine, cedar and mint are nicely delineated. Vineyards at elevation yield grapes that are harvested late at relatively lower sugars, yielding a Madeira that is especially dry. There’s good complexity here. The Sercial is a fine choice for readers who appreciate the drier style of Madeira.

91 Points - Wine Advocate
The NV Charleston Sercial (Rare Wine Company) is also showing nicely, delivering scents of orange oil, dried white flowers, beeswax, walnuts and nutmeg. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and enveloping, it's bright and precise, with tangy acids cloaked in a fleshy core of fruit, concluding with a long, off-dry finish. This is the driest wine in the Rare Wine Company's historic series and the bottling that would best lend itself to pairing with savory dishes. 

91 Points - Wine Spectator
Chamomile and Earl Grey tea notes accent the flavors of dried apple, tangerine and pineapple in this flinty style. Shows slight hints of matchstick, featuring a finish filled with citrus zest and plum sauce details. 

Product size: 500ml