1860 Madeira Leacock's Sercial Solera (Rótulo Em Papel) Fortificado

Description

John Leacock sailed to Madeira from the United Kingdom after his father's death in 1741, and at the age of 15 became the youngest apprentice at the Madeira trading firm Catanach and Murdoch, remaining until the expiry of his contract on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he was in constant contact with an old friend, John Patient, who at that time lived in Charlestown, South Carolina, and suggested that they start trading themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now worldwide famous company. In 1925, the wine industry was going through tough times, so both Leacock's and Blandy's joined forces and became members of the Madeira Wine Association, now the Madeira Wine Company. Leacock's is today one of the company's main brands, with its primary markets including the United States of America, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company was originally an association of several Madeira wine‑producing companies that decided to unite to strengthen their purchasing and wine‑production capacities. This association was founded in 1913. During years of discord, the old family companies of Blandy's and Leacock joined, followed immediately by the dispute involving Miles and Cossart Gordon, thereby creating the largest Madeira wine producer and exporter. Whatever its size, maintaining the unique characteristics and style of each individual company was at the centre of the association's attention. By the end of the 1970s, the interests in the Madeira Wine Company, as it became known, had been reduced to only a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling stake. In 1989, the Blandy family, needing to reinforce the sales and marketing side of the business, invited the Symington family from Porto, Portugal, to join them in partnership. This partnership has continued to this day, allowing the Madeira Wine Company to play a leading role in the development of the Madeira wine trade. The year of bottling may not correspond to the image presented. (image purely illustrative)