TN: 1969 D’Oliveiras Sercial

[Eric Menchen]

(Bottled 2022, 53 g/l sugar, 8.91 g/l TA.) Great clarity, ~17 SRM. Smells of spicy dried leaf, with chemical aromas as well; along with some sweet cream and a hint of mint. Don’t swirl this too much, as this brings up some mustiness and too much of the chemical character. The taste has really nice tangy acidity with orange and tangerine. This is thicker bodied than the previously tasted two wines (1990 Sercial and 2004 Tinta Negra). Overall, this is slightly deeper in flavor than the 1990, and the body makes it better, but it is not such a big step up that the difference in years might suggest. And there is that chemical element in the aroma preventing a higher score. 91+ points.