Leacocks 1966 Bual Vintage Madeira | Perfect 60th Birthday Gift

Description

Leacock’s 1966 Bual Vintage Madeira: Celebrate a milestone with this exceptional 60-year-old Madeira, the perfect 60th birthday gift for those born in 1966. This medium-rich vintage has matured for nearly 60 years, delivering complex layers of caramel, dried figs, toasted nuts, toffee, and tropical notes. A timeless bottle of history that’s still evolving beautifully, ideal for anniversaries, special occasions, or collectors

History of Leacock’s Madeira

Leacock’s Madeira is a historic Madeira company founded by John Leacock. In 1741, at the age of 15 (following his father’s death), John Leacock sailed from the United Kingdom to Madeira and became the youngest apprentice at the firm of Madeira merchants Catanach and Murdoch. He remained there until his apprenticeship expired on 11 March 1749. At that point, he began trading with an old school friend, John Patient, who was then residing in Charlestown, South Carolina. This marked the establishment of Leacock’s Madeira.

Ownership by The Madeira Wine Company (MWC)

The company remained a family-owned importer and producer of Madeira wines, passing through generations until 1925, when Leacock’s and Blandy’s amalgamated their interests and joined the Madeira Wine Association. This later became the Madeira Wine Company (MWC) in 1989. The MWC is a partnership between two Anglo-Portuguese wine-making families: the Blandy family and the Symington family.

This partnership continues today; in 2011, the Blandys and Symingtons signed an agreement giving the Blandy family control of the MWC, with the Symingtons remaining minority shareholders. Today, the MWC owns several historic Madeira brands, including Blandy’s, Cossart Gordon, Leacock’s, and Miles. Leacock’s has been consistently producing world-renowned vintage Madeiras since its founding.

What is Madeira?

Madeira is a fortified wine produced on Portugal’s Madeira Islands. Its unique vinification process – involving gentle heating of the wine in special warehouses (lodges) – results in one of the world’s longest-lived wines. Vintage Madeira, in particular, makes an exceptional birth year wine or anniversary gift.

Madeira Winemaking

• This 1966 vintage Madeira is aged in seasoned American oak casks using the traditional Canteiro system.
• In the Canteiro method, casks are gradually moved from the warmer top floors of the wine lodges to the cooler ground floor during maturation.
• The Canteiro method is reserved for the highest-quality Madeiras.
• It allows the wine to age naturally without artificial heat, relying solely on the island’s ambient warmth and sunlight.
• The wine is regularly racked throughout the maturation process.
• Once it reaches the desired maturity, the wine is bottled under the supervision of the Madeira Wine Institute.
• Vintage Madeira (also known as Frasqueira) must be aged for a minimum of 19 years in cask and 1 year in bottle.
• In practice, these wines are often aged significantly longer than the minimum requirements.

Please note: This 60 year old Madeira bottle features old stencilled details on one side and a modern paper label on the other.