Madeira Leacock's Saint John Bual Reserve Fortificado

Description

John Leacock sailed to Madeira from the United Kingdom after his father’s death in 1741. At just 15 years old he became the youngest apprentice in the Madeira trading firm Catanach & Murdoch, remaining there until the end of his contract on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he stayed in constant touch with an old friend, John Patient, who at the time lived in Charlestown, South Carolina. Patient suggested that they start trading themselves, and Leacock agreed—an event that marks the birth of what would become a worldwide‑famous company. By 1925 the wine industry was struggling, so both Leacock’s and Blandy’s joined forces and became part of the Madeira Wine Association, which later became the Madeira Wine Company. Today Leacock’s is one of the company’s flagship brands, with its principal markets in the United States, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company originally began as an association of several Madeira‑wine producers who decided to combine their buying and production capabilities. The association was founded in 1913. During years of discord the family businesses of Blandy’s and Leacock merged, followed shortly thereafter by Miles & Cossart Gordon, creating the largest producer and exporter of Madeira wine. Regardless of size, preserving each company’s unique characteristics and style remained central to the association’s mission. By the late 1970s ownership of the Madeira Wine Company had narrowed to a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling stake. In 1989, the Blandys—needing to strengthen sales and marketing—invited the Symington family from Porto, Portugal, to partner with them. This partnership has endured to the present day, enabling the Madeira Wine Company to play a leading role in developing the Madeira wine trade. (Note: The bottling year may not match the accompanying image—illustrative only.)