Blandy’s Sercial Madeira 1968 (750ML)

99 DE / 19 JR / 95 WE

Best in Show 2018 Decanter World Wine Awards

The Blandys established themselves on Madeira in 1811 and are now in charge of the Madeira Wine Company. Aged for 49 years in seasoned American oak casks before bottling in 2017, this wine is mid-deep amber in colour with an olive-green glint. Fine, lifted woodsmoke characters on the nose are redolent of autumn leaves and bonfires. It has crystallised fruit on the palate with rapier-like power and intensity. The hint of sweetness (59g/l residual sugar) is offset by a streak of acidity, leading to a mouthwateringly fresh greengage finish yielding to a touch of savoury complexity. A wine that sings contralto from the glass. Just 2,000 bottles in total.—Richard Mayson, Decanter

RS 59 g/l, TA 10.07 g/l. Bottle. Released 2017. 1,588 bottle released.
Deep golden brown. Really nutty, walnut skin. Fabulous aroma of burnt toffee, though perhaps not as sweet as that suggests. There's also a delicate smoky character a bit like lapsang but more fruity. Sour, almost bitter, dried apricot and still so full of fruit. Rich, definitely not dry but tastes dryish because of that stunning acidity. A light note of umami on the finish. A meal in itself, rich and refined and infinitely long. Even though there is perceptible sweetness it is overshadowed by the amazing freshness and the complexity of the flavours and endless, bitter-orange finish. (JH). –Julia Harding MW, Jancis Robinson

This beautifully golden-colored, oak-aged wine is bone dry, with the intense acidity working with an orange-marmalade character. Together they give a mature wine that is ready to drink.--Roger Voss, Wine Enthusiast