Madeira Leacock's'S 15 Anos 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 there until his contract expired on 11 March 1749. During his apprenticeship he kept in constant contact with an old friend, John Patient, who at that time lived in Charlestown, South Carolina, and who suggested that they begin trading themselves. Leacock agreed, marking the birth of the now worldwide‑famous company. In 1925, when the wine industry was facing hard times, 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 flagship brands, with its main markets in the United States, the Scandinavian countries, and the United Kingdom. The Madeira Wine Company was originally an association of several Madeira wine producers who decided to unite to strengthen their purchasing and production capacities. The association was founded in 1913. During the years of discord, the family firms of Blandy’s and Leacock joined, followed soon after by Miles and Cossart Gordon, creating the largest producer and exporter of Madeira wine. Whatever the size, preserving the unique characteristics and style of each individual company was central to the association’s mission. By the late 1970s, the company’s interests were reduced to 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 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 correspond to the image presented. (illustrative image only)