Pereira d'Oliveira - Vintage Madeira Sercial Reserva 1969 (750ml)
Price: $662.99
| Producer | Pereira d'Oliveira |
| Country | Portugal |
| Region | Madeira |
| Varietal | Sercial |
| Vintage | 1969 |
| Sku | 201278 |
| Size | 750ml |
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Pereira d'Oliveira Description
Of all the producers of Madeira, D’Oliveira has the greatest library of old vintages, dating back to 1850. Many of D’Oliveira’s oldest wines were produced from vineyards the family owned in the parish of São Martinho. Director Luis D’Oliveira has been a staunch defender of long aging in cask and was among the first producers to add bottling dates to his back labels.
In 1968, Aníbal and Luis D’Oliveira—the great-grandsons of João Pereira D’Oliveira—joined the firm, ushering in a new era of greatness. Prior to their arrival, the company had never exported but was content to sell wine exclusively on the island, mostly to other producers. This policy helps to explain why D’Oliveira has such astonishing stocks of old wine today.
Today, no other company on the island can boast such a wealth of great old Madeiras. These include five monumental Verdelhos from the family’s own São Martinho vineyards, vintaged in 1850, 1890, 1900, 1905 and 1912. There are no finer examples of mature Verdelho in existence today.
Digging into the D’Oliveira’s library, one can also find profound Malvasias (aka Malmseys) from 1875, 1895, 1900, 1901 and 1907; Buals from 1903, 1904 and 1908, and Sercials from 1862, 1875, 1928 and 1937.
The family also boasts superb examples of three rare grape varieties: Terrantez (1880 and 1899), Bastardo (1927) and Moscatel (1875 and 1900). And thanks to a recent change in the island’s wine laws, it is now possible for D’Oliveira to offer for sale Tinta Negras from 1929 and 1995. Like D’Oliveira’s other old frasqueiras, these wines are truly profound.
D’Oliveira believes that Madeiras age best in cask. Consequently, its old vintages are kept in wood, and only enough is bottled to meet short-term needs. The winery was among the first on the island to add bottling years to its back labels to emphasize how long each wine had spent in cask.
Wine Advocate: 90 Points
The 1969 Sercial Reserva unwinds to reveal aromas of pecans, salted caramel, figs and honey cake, followed by a medium to full-bodied, elegantly integrated palate that's quite fine-boned, displaying fine depth at the core, tangy acids and an attractive, bittersweet finish.
