1860 Madeira Leacock's Sercial Solera 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 there until the end 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 who suggested that they start trading themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now world‑famous company. In 1925, the wine industry was going through hard times, and 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 key markets in the United States, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company was originally an association of several Madeira wine producers who decided to unite to strengthen their buying and production capabilities. This association was founded in 1913. During the years of discord, the family businesses of Blandy's and Leacock merged, followed immediately after a dispute by Miles and Cossart Gordon, creating the largest Madeira wine producer and exporter. Whatever its size, maintaining the unique characteristics and style of each individual company remained the focus of the association. By the late 1970s, the interests in the Madeira Wine Company, as it became known, were reduced to only a handful of the original families, with the Blandy family holding the controlling share. In 1989, the Blandy family, needing to strengthen 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 developing the Madeira wine trade. The bottling year may not match the image presented. (Illustrative image only)