3 bottles per lot
Details
Cyprus and Paphos vales, the smiling Loves
Might leave with joy fair Madeira's groves;
A shore so flowery, and so sweet an air,
Venus might build her dearest temple there.
From Camoens' Lusiad, 1569, Volume I Canto V
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST COLLECTIONS OF MADEIRA
The following 114 lots represent a careful selection from one the greatest collections of Madeira ever to come to market. Encompassing Solera and Vintage Madeiras from 1748 to 1900 and every grape variety and style. In many cases these Madeiras were sourced from the cellars of the great English country homes sold through Christie's in London during the 1970s and 80s as well as selected private purchases.
What sets this collection apart from most others is the fascinating connection to the history of North America and in particular to the East Coast. Some of the Madeiras are named for the ships in which they were transported, some for the families for which they were destined.
All of them offer an insight into the vinous culture of upper class society in a different age.
This collector has been empassioned by Madeira for over 25 years and has built an extraordinary collection to rival any other. It is with great sadness that these unique bottles are being offered for auction, but with the sincere hope that they find similarly passionate new owners around the globe.
We had the pleasure of packing up this cellar and it is with great satisfaction that we can report that this collector is one of the most neat, organized, and fastidious today. Rack after rack of Madeira rested in a beautiful custom wine cellar until we came to catalogue the collection for sale. The consignor chose only those bottles with the best fills for sale, to ensure that those interested in expanding their Madeira collections get only the finest bottles. Sales like this do not come around very often; it was with great intensity that this collector (who is a prodigious connoisseur of fine wines as well) explained his reasoning behind this collection. Madeira, to him, is unique. In his attempts to craft a unique cellar, he has pursued the most desirable Madeiras and added unusual and highly desirable spirits, sherry, ports and Château d'Yquem. (Lots 115-174)
All bottles were removed from an impeccably maintained temperature and humidity-controlled home storage facility.
Madeira
Madeira is the name of both the volcanic Portuguese island off the coast of North Africa, and the fortified wine made there. The four classic types of Madeira are named after the grapes from which they are made: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia. All four of these types of Madeira are still in production today. Three other grape varieties, Terrantez, Bastardo and Moscatel are much rarer and only seen in voluminous and comprehensive Madeira collections like the one offered here today. The majority of Madeira, however, is made from a grape called tinta negra mole, or tinta. Technically, tinta is considered a "good variety" as opposed to a "noble" one and as such, none of the wines in this extraordinary collection contain that grape. Here, we are offering only the finest and noblest.
To make Madeira, fermentation of the grapes is usually stopped by the addition of alcohol. This wine can then be additionally sweetened, then undergoes estufa. Estufa, one of the most unique wine making processes in the world, came about quite by accident. Since the majority of the Madeira was made for export, the wine often spent long periods of time ageing in casks being used as ballast in the holds of shipping vessels. When it was discovered that the slow heating of the wine had a positive effect, the merchants preferred that the wine cross the tropics twice in order for it to reach full maturity. Interestingly, a number of the bottles you will find in this offering are actually named after the ships they were imported in, such as The Rebel, Catherine Banks, and The Mexican. This process of heat and controlled oxidation lead to the invention of the estufa system, currently in use, as a way of replicating these ocean voyages. In the estufagem, the fortified wine is heated to (by law) between 40 and 50 degrees Centigrade for a legal minimum of three months. After the wine has been heated it is cooled (special care being taken to ensure that the wine does not over-oxidize) and then placed in "pipes" for the resting period known as estagio for a year or more, after which it is stored in casks of a solera (much like sherry) or observed for potential as vintage Madeira.
Malvasia
Malvasia (both Malvasia Cândida and Malvasia Babosa) is the most classic grape on the island of Madeira, having been cultivated since the 15th century. Known as "Malmsey" in England, Malvasia Cândida almost went extinct in the mid 20th-century. Malvasia is a fickle grape; it only survives at low altitudes and in sunny, sheltered locations to protect it from mildew and rot. Madeira made from Malvasia is sweet but balanced by very high levels of acidity.
Boal
Boal grows at low altitudes on the south end of the island of Madeira. Madeiras made from this grape are rich, raisiny and retain their acidity quite well. The grapes are low-yielding and compact bunches of small, sweet grapes.
Verdelho
Verdelho, a once ubiquitous grape on the island of Madeira, was all but wiped out by phylloxera. Elevated to noble status at the beginning of the 20th-century, Verdelho is grown mainly on the north end of the island, where it is planted close to the ground as opposed to on trellises. Verdelho usually produces a medium-dry wine which develops hints of smokiness as it ages.
Sercial
The same variety as the mainland's Esganocão, sercial is known for its mouth-puckering acidity. It typically produces drier wines with almond overtones and stunning clarity.
Terrantez
Terrantez grapes were first recorded in Madeira in the early 18th-century. Another grape that nearly died out during the phylloxera epidemic, Terrantez grapes have fairly high sugar content. This sale offers the opportunity to purchase wines from a grape that is currently nearly extinct: the current Terrantez harvest does not produce enough juice to fill a single barrel. As the Portuguese saying goes, "As uvas de Terrantez, não as comas nem as dês, para vinho Deus as fez." The grapes of Terrantez are not for eating or giving away; God created them for wine.
Bastardo
Bastardo, known in France as Trousseau, it is also used in the Douro to make Port. Often used to make somewhat dry wines, it is no longer grown in any substantial quantity on Madeira.
Moscatel
Of the numerous kinds of Moscatel (muscatel de quintal, muscatel de santa maria, muscatel de setúbal), most are used as table grapes and not made into wine. Madeira made from these grapes is uncharacteristically sweet with low acidity, and is exceedingly rare.
Vintage notes taken from Madeira--The Island Vineyard by Noël Cossart, a Christie's Wine Publication, 1984
1789 Cama de Lobos very fine
1790 Cama de Lobos very fine
1792 Bual especially good
1795 Generally very good
1812 Bual very fine
1814 Bual very fine
1815 Waterloo vintage. Bual good.
1822 Generally Excellent
1826 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1827 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1836 Generally very good, especially sercial
1840 Generally very fine, especially sercial and verdelho
1842 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1845 Generally very fine, especially Bual
1846 Generally very fine, especially Terrantez, Bual and Verdelho
1850 Generally very good, especially Verdelho
1851 Generally very fine, especially Sercial, Bual and Malmsey
1858 Very small, but generally very good, especially Verdelho
1860 Very small, but generally very good, especially Sercial
1862 Small, Terrantez of this year is considered very fine, also Malmsey
1863 Small, generally very fine, especially Malmsey and Bual from Cama de Lobos
1864 Small, generally good, especially Bual and Malmsey
1868 Small, generally good, especially Bual--excellent
1869 Small, generally good, especially Bual
1870 Small, generally good, especially Sercial
1872 Phylloxera. The small amount of wine was very fine
1880 Malmsey of this year was extremely fine
1882 Very small, some fine Bual
1884 Very small, some fine Sercial
1892 Generally good, especially Sercial
1893 Generally good, especially Malmsey
1895 Generally fine, especially Malmsey. The first normal vintage since 1898 Generally very fine, especially Verdelho and Sercial
1900 Generally very fine
An appreciation of Madeira
from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent
"Madeira has always been one of my favourite wines. My wife and I drink it frequently, and for over a quarter of a century, when I was head of Christie's wine department, I kept a bottle of Verdelho for clients and friends, usually synonymous, who called mid morning - so much better than office coffee - and Bual for the afternoon, so much more delicious than tea. Moreover, with unfailing regularity I am asked which is my favourite wine (after all these years where do I start?). I fall back on old Madeira. And, to take with me if stranded on a desert island, I can be specific H M Borges 1862 Terrantez, {lot 54 in this sale} or failing that the 1846.{lot 42} Apart from the glorious, indescribable perfume and taste, madeira is one wine which is able to survive the heat and which can be dipped into at leisure. It doesn't go off after drawing the cork."
Vintages at a glance
from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent.
Outstanding *****
1900, 1901, 1910, 1936
Very Good ****
1908, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1926, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1954, 1957, 1966, 1968
Good ***
1903, 1905, 1907, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1927, 1933, 1935, 1945, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1964
Verdelho--Solera 1748
Henriques
Acquired from João Alfreado Faria
3 bottles per lot
Might leave with joy fair Madeira's groves;
A shore so flowery, and so sweet an air,
Venus might build her dearest temple there.
From Camoens' Lusiad, 1569, Volume I Canto V
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ONE OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST COLLECTIONS OF MADEIRA
The following 114 lots represent a careful selection from one the greatest collections of Madeira ever to come to market. Encompassing Solera and Vintage Madeiras from 1748 to 1900 and every grape variety and style. In many cases these Madeiras were sourced from the cellars of the great English country homes sold through Christie's in London during the 1970s and 80s as well as selected private purchases.
What sets this collection apart from most others is the fascinating connection to the history of North America and in particular to the East Coast. Some of the Madeiras are named for the ships in which they were transported, some for the families for which they were destined.
All of them offer an insight into the vinous culture of upper class society in a different age.
This collector has been empassioned by Madeira for over 25 years and has built an extraordinary collection to rival any other. It is with great sadness that these unique bottles are being offered for auction, but with the sincere hope that they find similarly passionate new owners around the globe.
We had the pleasure of packing up this cellar and it is with great satisfaction that we can report that this collector is one of the most neat, organized, and fastidious today. Rack after rack of Madeira rested in a beautiful custom wine cellar until we came to catalogue the collection for sale. The consignor chose only those bottles with the best fills for sale, to ensure that those interested in expanding their Madeira collections get only the finest bottles. Sales like this do not come around very often; it was with great intensity that this collector (who is a prodigious connoisseur of fine wines as well) explained his reasoning behind this collection. Madeira, to him, is unique. In his attempts to craft a unique cellar, he has pursued the most desirable Madeiras and added unusual and highly desirable spirits, sherry, ports and Château d'Yquem. (Lots 115-174)
All bottles were removed from an impeccably maintained temperature and humidity-controlled home storage facility.
Madeira
Madeira is the name of both the volcanic Portuguese island off the coast of North Africa, and the fortified wine made there. The four classic types of Madeira are named after the grapes from which they are made: Sercial, Verdelho, Boal and Malvasia. All four of these types of Madeira are still in production today. Three other grape varieties, Terrantez, Bastardo and Moscatel are much rarer and only seen in voluminous and comprehensive Madeira collections like the one offered here today. The majority of Madeira, however, is made from a grape called tinta negra mole, or tinta. Technically, tinta is considered a "good variety" as opposed to a "noble" one and as such, none of the wines in this extraordinary collection contain that grape. Here, we are offering only the finest and noblest.
To make Madeira, fermentation of the grapes is usually stopped by the addition of alcohol. This wine can then be additionally sweetened, then undergoes estufa. Estufa, one of the most unique wine making processes in the world, came about quite by accident. Since the majority of the Madeira was made for export, the wine often spent long periods of time ageing in casks being used as ballast in the holds of shipping vessels. When it was discovered that the slow heating of the wine had a positive effect, the merchants preferred that the wine cross the tropics twice in order for it to reach full maturity. Interestingly, a number of the bottles you will find in this offering are actually named after the ships they were imported in, such as The Rebel, Catherine Banks, and The Mexican. This process of heat and controlled oxidation lead to the invention of the estufa system, currently in use, as a way of replicating these ocean voyages. In the estufagem, the fortified wine is heated to (by law) between 40 and 50 degrees Centigrade for a legal minimum of three months. After the wine has been heated it is cooled (special care being taken to ensure that the wine does not over-oxidize) and then placed in "pipes" for the resting period known as estagio for a year or more, after which it is stored in casks of a solera (much like sherry) or observed for potential as vintage Madeira.
Malvasia
Malvasia (both Malvasia Cândida and Malvasia Babosa) is the most classic grape on the island of Madeira, having been cultivated since the 15th century. Known as "Malmsey" in England, Malvasia Cândida almost went extinct in the mid 20th-century. Malvasia is a fickle grape; it only survives at low altitudes and in sunny, sheltered locations to protect it from mildew and rot. Madeira made from Malvasia is sweet but balanced by very high levels of acidity.
Boal
Boal grows at low altitudes on the south end of the island of Madeira. Madeiras made from this grape are rich, raisiny and retain their acidity quite well. The grapes are low-yielding and compact bunches of small, sweet grapes.
Verdelho
Verdelho, a once ubiquitous grape on the island of Madeira, was all but wiped out by phylloxera. Elevated to noble status at the beginning of the 20th-century, Verdelho is grown mainly on the north end of the island, where it is planted close to the ground as opposed to on trellises. Verdelho usually produces a medium-dry wine which develops hints of smokiness as it ages.
Sercial
The same variety as the mainland's Esganocão, sercial is known for its mouth-puckering acidity. It typically produces drier wines with almond overtones and stunning clarity.
Terrantez
Terrantez grapes were first recorded in Madeira in the early 18th-century. Another grape that nearly died out during the phylloxera epidemic, Terrantez grapes have fairly high sugar content. This sale offers the opportunity to purchase wines from a grape that is currently nearly extinct: the current Terrantez harvest does not produce enough juice to fill a single barrel. As the Portuguese saying goes, "As uvas de Terrantez, não as comas nem as dês, para vinho Deus as fez." The grapes of Terrantez are not for eating or giving away; God created them for wine.
Bastardo
Bastardo, known in France as Trousseau, it is also used in the Douro to make Port. Often used to make somewhat dry wines, it is no longer grown in any substantial quantity on Madeira.
Moscatel
Of the numerous kinds of Moscatel (muscatel de quintal, muscatel de santa maria, muscatel de setúbal), most are used as table grapes and not made into wine. Madeira made from these grapes is uncharacteristically sweet with low acidity, and is exceedingly rare.
Vintage notes taken from Madeira--The Island Vineyard by Noël Cossart, a Christie's Wine Publication, 1984
1789 Cama de Lobos very fine
1790 Cama de Lobos very fine
1792 Bual especially good
1795 Generally very good
1812 Bual very fine
1814 Bual very fine
1815 Waterloo vintage. Bual good.
1822 Generally Excellent
1826 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1827 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1836 Generally very good, especially sercial
1840 Generally very fine, especially sercial and verdelho
1842 Generally very fine, especially sercial
1845 Generally very fine, especially Bual
1846 Generally very fine, especially Terrantez, Bual and Verdelho
1850 Generally very good, especially Verdelho
1851 Generally very fine, especially Sercial, Bual and Malmsey
1858 Very small, but generally very good, especially Verdelho
1860 Very small, but generally very good, especially Sercial
1862 Small, Terrantez of this year is considered very fine, also Malmsey
1863 Small, generally very fine, especially Malmsey and Bual from Cama de Lobos
1864 Small, generally good, especially Bual and Malmsey
1868 Small, generally good, especially Bual--excellent
1869 Small, generally good, especially Bual
1870 Small, generally good, especially Sercial
1872 Phylloxera. The small amount of wine was very fine
1880 Malmsey of this year was extremely fine
1882 Very small, some fine Bual
1884 Very small, some fine Sercial
1892 Generally good, especially Sercial
1893 Generally good, especially Malmsey
1895 Generally fine, especially Malmsey. The first normal vintage since 1898 Generally very fine, especially Verdelho and Sercial
1900 Generally very fine
An appreciation of Madeira
from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent
"Madeira has always been one of my favourite wines. My wife and I drink it frequently, and for over a quarter of a century, when I was head of Christie's wine department, I kept a bottle of Verdelho for clients and friends, usually synonymous, who called mid morning - so much better than office coffee - and Bual for the afternoon, so much more delicious than tea. Moreover, with unfailing regularity I am asked which is my favourite wine (after all these years where do I start?). I fall back on old Madeira. And, to take with me if stranded on a desert island, I can be specific H M Borges 1862 Terrantez, {lot 54 in this sale} or failing that the 1846.{lot 42} Apart from the glorious, indescribable perfume and taste, madeira is one wine which is able to survive the heat and which can be dipped into at leisure. It doesn't go off after drawing the cork."
Vintages at a glance
from Vintage Wine by Michael Broadbent.
Outstanding *****
1900, 1901, 1910, 1936
Very Good ****
1908, 1911, 1914, 1920, 1926, 1934, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1954, 1957, 1966, 1968
Good ***
1903, 1905, 1907, 1912, 1913, 1915, 1916, 1927, 1933, 1935, 1945, 1952, 1958, 1960, 1964
Verdelho--Solera 1748
Henriques
Acquired from João Alfreado Faria
3 bottles per lot