Barbeito Sercial 1988 MEF
Region: Madeira
Producer: Vinhos Barbeito
Why we chose this wine
1988: the year Seoul hosted the Olympic Games. A Madeira from this vintage is a living piece of history — a wine that has been ageing for generations, owing its character to decades of patient cask maturation.
| Volume | 75.0 cl. |
| Grape Variety | 100% Sercial – the driest and most refined Madeira grape, planted on the island's highest and coolest vineyards, giving the wine a lively, crisp acidity. |
| Drinking window | Ready to drink now — thanks to the nature of Madeira, this wine remains stable for many years, both in bottle and after opening. |
| Serveren bij | Excellent as an aperitif, lightly chilled and served between 11-12°C. Also delicious with almonds, olives, smoked fish or a light consommé. |
| Alc. | 20.0% |
| Vinification | Traditional Madeira vinification: the must from the Sercial grapes is fermented almost to dryness before being fortified (mutage) with neutral grape spirit, resulting in a drier, refined style with lively acidity. |
| Ripening | Aged for more than 38 years using the traditional canteiro method: in oak casks in the naturally heated lodges (armazéns) of the wine house, giving the Madeira its characteristic oxidative character and remarkable longevity. |
What the critics say
Robert Parker Wine Advocate
95/ 100
Published 15-10-2020
“The 1988 Sercial Manuel Eugénio Fernandes is showing brilliantly, opening in the glass with a complex bouquet of candied peel, pine resin, dried fruits and cedar that's packed with nuances that defy easy description. Deep, full-bodied and beautifully satiny, with incisive acids, an elegantly layered core and a long, intensely sapid and penetrating finish, this is a brilliant Sercial worth every effort to seek out. Bottled in October 2017, it derives from vineyards on the island's north coast, very close to the sea, which naturally produce wines that are very high in acidity.”
— William Kelley, Robert Parker Wine Advocate
The producer
Vinhos Barbeito
Since Ricardo Diogo Freitas took over the family business in 1991, Barbeito has gone all in on quality. His Madeiras stand out for their purity and fresh acidity. The international press calls him a game changer.