Madeira Leacock's Old Reserve Fortificado

Description

John Leacock sailed to Madeira from the United Kingdom. After his father’s death in 1741, at the age of 15 he became the youngest apprentice at the Madeira trading firm Catanach and Murdoch, remaining until his contract expired on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he stayed in constant contact with an old friend, John Patient, then resident in Charlestown, South Carolina, who suggested that they start trading themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now world‑famous company. In 1925 the wine industry was facing tough times, so both Leacock’s and Blandy’s joined forces and became part of the Madeira Wine Association, now the Madeira Wine Company. Leacock’s is today one of the company’s flagship brands, with major markets in the United States, the Scandinavian countries and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company originally was an association of several Madeira‑wine producers who united to strengthen their purchasing and production capacities. This association was founded in 1913. During years of discord, the old family firms of Blandy’s and Leacock joined, followed immediately by the acquisition of Miles and Cossart Gordon, creating the largest producer and exporter of Madeira wine. Whatever its size, maintaining the unique characteristics and style of each individual company remained central to the association’s focus. In the late 1970s the company’s ownership was narrowed to only a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling stake. In 1989 the Blandys, needing to bolster sales and marketing, invited the Symington family from Porto, Portugal, to partner with them. This partnership has continued to the present day, allowing the Madeira Wine Company to play a leading role in the development of the Madeira wine trade. The bottling year may not match the image shown. (image purely illustrative)