The Rare Wine Co. & Vinhos Barbeito "Charleston" Sercial Special Reserve Madeira

750ml bottle

19.5% abv

The driest wine in the series, Charleston Sercial celebrates the refined, delicate Madeiras so prized by our forefathers. Like all classic Sercials, this bottling is crisp and racy, its very slight sweetness balanced by an exhilarating, mouthwatering tang of acidity. Sercial excels as an aperitif with nuts or olives, with soups, and with a host of mature, hard cheeses.

The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Madeira – uniquely affordable Madeiras that reflect the style and complexity of the great vintage wines.

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Madeira was the United States’ most coveted wine. Every public event—from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to George Washington’s Inauguration—was toasted with a glass of Madeira. For more than 150 years, no other wine rivaled it in the eyes of connoisseurs. But after the Civil War, Madeira wine drifted into obscurity, the victim of a series of natural, political and economic calamities. It was not until the dawn of the 21st century that America once again embraced this enigmatic wine, helped in no small part by The Rare Wine Co.’s creation of its Historic Series.

The Idea – The goal of these remarkable wines was to introduce a new generation of American wine lovers not only to our shared history with Madeira, but to the wine’s magical quality: its astonishing bouquet, its glorious richness and balance, and its versatility as an aperitif, dessert wine and food wine.

With this in mind, in 1998 we began working with Vinhos Barbeito’s owner, Ricardo Freitas, to create a series of Madeiras reflecting the style and complexity that enchanted our forefathers. The Rare Wine Co. had long been known as America’s pre-eminent source of Vintage Madeiras from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries; yet, Ricardo was perfectly positioned to help us. He, too, possessed a remarkable library of old Madeira, but he also had a unique understanding of the qualities we sought. And, for the project, he could contribute wines ranging in age from ten to sixty years, allowing us to produce superbly complex, aged Madeiras at affordable prices.

Freitas, is arguably the most dynamic winemaker in Madeira, acquiring a well-deserved reputation as the island’s “game changer.” Ricardo joined with The Rare Wine Co. to create these pioneering Historic Series Madeiras, which have pumped enormous new vitality into the American market for Madeira. 

Affordable Madeiras are typically blended for uniformity but our goal with this project was to create highly individual wines—with the ethereal combination of acidity, concentration, aromatics, and richness that marks the greatest old Madeiras. In creating each blend, Ricardo works with small lots, including wines up to 50 or 60 years of age, and sometimes even older. 

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Madeira was the United States’ most prestigious wine, shipped to connoisseurs in major seaports from New Orleans to Portland. To emphasize America’s deep historical connection to Madeira, each wine in the core series is named for a U.S. city where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries

“Perfect flavors and subtle bouquet ... perfect balance and harmony ...”

- Eric Asimov, The N.Y. Times

The Cities – To emphasize America’s deep historical connection to Madeira, each wine in the series is named for a U.S. city where Madeira was popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Thus, Charleston Sercial and Savannah Verdelho celebrate the South’s love of drier Madeiras, while Boston Bual and New York Malmsey acknowledge the North’s appreciation of sweeter Madeiras.

Each bottle bears an early engraving from that city, along with a back label describing the wine and America’s special link to Madeira’s illustrious history.

“These set the bar as benchmark offerings for non-vintage Madeiras ...”

- The Wine Enthusiast

Storing & Serving – Among the many virtues of Madeira is that it is not subject to temperature variations, so that it can be stored just about anywhere in the home. It also keeps for months, if not years, after opening. Just put a cork or stopper in the bottle, and store it in your wine cellar or even a kitchen cabinet.

Madeira is best served at a cool room temperature in a small to medium-sized glass, ideally with a tall, or tulip-shaped, bowl.