The Property of David Cossart, Esq
A MAGNIFICENT COLLECTION OF OLD SOLERA AND VINTAGE MADEIRA
Removed from David Cossart's private reserves and now lying London, S.E.1 with a selection of older bottles on view at Christie's
Cossart Gordon was founded in 1745, two and a half centuries ago next year. David Cossart, son of Noël, is the seventh generation of this very distinguished family. He became a Master of Wine in 1973, coincidentally whilst a member of Christie's Wine Department.
Christie's own association with Madeira wine is almost as long, for a quantity of fine old Maderia (sic) was amongst the Genuine Household Furniture of A Noble Personage (Deceas'd) in James Christie's first sale, 5 December 1766, and appeared regularly in subsequent 18th and early 19th century wine sales, much having voyaged to and matured in the Brazils, Jamaica, 14 years in wood in Bengal even, at an auction at Christie's in 1810, Madeira that had been Round the World with Captain Cook: all desirable, rare, high priced at the time.
There is a curiously fine dividing line between straight vintage and solera Madeiras. Strictly speaking a vintage madeira is matured in oak casks, unblended, whereas solera madeira originated in the stated year but is refreshed from time to time with wine of younger vintages of the same grape variety and similar quality. But in both instances the wine might be transferred into glass demijohns after 60 or 70 years in cask to prevent them taking on a woody flavour. It is then bottled as required
Whether vintage or solera, Madeira is virtually indestructable, keeps miraculouly and gains extra richness and "tanginess" with age.
David Cossart's collection of twenty-four vintage and solera Madeiras spans the classic period from 1815 to 1952 and will offer bidders an exciting opportunity to acquire increasingly rare bottles with an impeccable provenance.
The notes that follow have been taken from Madeira, the Island Vineyard by Noël Cossart, the standard work on the subject published by Christie's in 1984, alas out of print, and from The Great Vintage Wine Book II, and other tasting notes by Michael Broadbent
All the bottles in this collection are either labelled or stencilled with the shipper's name, Cossart Gordon, and vintage year or solera, as appropriate
Bual--Solera 1815
细节
Bual--Solera 1815
Known as the "Waterloo" vintage, the Bual particularly succesful
1 bottle per lot
Known as the "Waterloo" vintage, the Bual particularly succesful
1 bottle per lot