Sercial

[SER-shuhl] 1. Also called Cerceal do Douro, this white-wine grape is grown primarily in Por­tugal's dão doc. Although associated historically with the island of madeira Sercial is now found there only in limited quantities. When phylloxera attacked the Madeira vineyards in the 1870s, the vineyards were eventually replanted, replacing the classic Madeira varieties like Sercial with tinta negra mole. Because of Common Market labeling regulations (see the following discussion), Sercial is making a comeback. These wines are very perfumy yet so astringent that they take 6 to 8 years to mellow into drinkability. The word "Sercial" is the Anglicized form of Cerceal. 2. The driest and lightest style of the Madeira wines. Although originally associated with the Sercial grape, a lot of Tinta Negra Mole has been used in this style of Madeira in the recent past (especially in the cheaper versions). However, in 1986 Portugal entered the Common Market, whose regulations required that by 1993 any Madeira wine naming a variety on its label must contain at least 85 percent of that grape. This labeling requirement caused an upsurge in replanting the classic vines such as Sercial. Wines labeled "Sercial-style" can contain less than the required 85 percent, and most likely contain more Tinta Negra Mole. Sercial is also called Cerceal (Portuguese spelling) and Esgana Cão, which means "dog strangler" and refers to its astringent character.

For the Australian wine grape known as Sercial, see Ondenc.

Sercial (Cerceal in Portuguese) is the name applied to any of several white grapes grown in Portugal, especially on the island of Madeira, and gives its name to the dryest of the four classic varieties of Madeira fortified wine.^[1]

The grape is grown in diminishing quantities at the southern end of the island, following phylloxera devastated the Madeira's vineyards the grape became more common on the mainland, there known as Esgana or Esgana Cao. Its late ripening allows it to retain its characteristic acidity.^[2]

The anglicised name Sercial came to be associated with the Madeira style rather than the grape variety, being the lightest, most acid and delicate expression of Madeira that takes the longest to mature.^[2] However, EU rules for varietal names on wine labels now require Madeiras labelled Sercial to be made from minimum 85% Sercial.

References

1. ^ winepros.com.au. Oxford Companion to Wine. "Cerceal". http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=624. 
2. ^ ^{a b} winepros.com.au. Oxford Companion to Wine. "Sercial". http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=2919. 

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