1811 Blandy’s Bual Commemoration Solera

[Alan Gardner]

I’m hoping some of our contributors can help figure out what this wine really is.

The front label describes it as ‘a century old Solera’, rebottled in 1961 (note the ‘re’).
The back label identifies it as being from the Grabham cellar, and says it was blended in 1961 from wines all over 100 years old, going back to 1788.

So, front and back labels are inconsistent.

My research has only discovered two ‘bottlings’ of the 1811 Solera. The other was ‘bottled in 1900, re-corked in 1986 from a solera laid down in 1811 that coincides with the foundation of Blandy’.

Additionally, Noel Cossart (Madeira, the Island Vineyard), notes that “Dr. Grabham also possessed quantities of Blandy’s Commemoration Solera 1811, a fine bual solera founded to commemorate the firm’s establishment.”

And a dearth of any tasting notes anywhere until relatively recently.

So, here’s my question/comments.

How can a Solera have (possibly) continued for around 150 years (1811-1961) yet nobody seems to have bought it or tasted it over that time??????????
If it was, in fact, topped up – what happened to the wine that was withdrawn?

Now the speculation:
MAYBE this isn’t/never was a solera. Merely (!) a blend of old vintages laid down in 1811 when Blandy’s was founded. As a blend, what would have been the naming options – perhaps ‘legally’ it had to be called a solera, as there was no other term for a blend.
Then (further speculation) it was FIRST bottled in 1900 (to celebrate the new century) and the remainder left untouched (probably a single barrel) which was finally bottled in 1961 to celebrate the 150th anniversary (the back label says only 875 bottles produced; while the front label says only 475 bottles in existence - possibly the others were retained by the family)!

Of course we’re going to drink it. But the story is mysterious enough that I welcome any further enlightenment to illuminate the discussion that will certainly occur.

Thanks for any contributions.

[Roy Hersh]

Alan,

I've been in touch directly with two of the Blandy's to try to solve this mystery.

You can help me to help you if you can follow up by email (you have my email address I am sure) ...

"It would help me enormously to have photographs of the front and back label. A photograph of the top of the bottle would also be useful - does it have a wax seal? – is there a paper seal over the top of the bottle? If the paper seal is visible a photo would be useful."

Thanks!

[Alan Gardner]

Thanks Roy,
I'll contact you off list.

However, for the record, our group of 16 compared notes on this and our general conclusion was that it had the characteristics of a solera, rather than vintage. The taste was much 'rounder' and harmonious, lacking the peaks of flavour that we generally associate with vintage madeiras.

Of course we've never knowingly had a blend of different 1-200 year-old madeiras, so maybe a blending would also lead to a general smoothing out of the flavors.

The seal was metal - either aluminum or tin - certainly consistent with a 60's bottling. Cork was also consistent, short, driven and still intact although spongy. Removed in one piece.

[Roy Hersh]

From Michael Blandy:

I got Jacques to do some research and he looked up Noel Cossarts book and found the reference you quoted in your first email as marked up in the attached. The 475 bottles match. I guess (without seeing the labels) that this is the wine in question.

I know I don’t have any of this wine but will look in the cellar of my late brother Richard, which is still intact and will also ask Chris to check his father’s cellar. If we find a bottle we will get photos of the labels for you.

You may recall that in my opening speech in San Francisco in March that I mentioned that Charles Ridpath Blandy’s (died 1879) cellar had been inherited by his daughters and much of the wine went to his daughter Mary Anne who married Michael Grabham. My great grandfather John Burden Blandy was excluded from his father’s Will and bought the business from his sisters together with much of the wine but this is how the Grabham connection originated with the family.

More information to follow as we get it.



From the original Noel Cossart book: Madeira, the Vineyard Island, page 137 ...

"Dr. Grabham also possessed quantities of Blandy's Commemoration Solera 1811, a fine Bual solera founded to commemorate the firm's establishment. Only 475 bottles were produced; one, No 114, recorked in 1961 but bearing its original labels, was sold in 1977 by Christie's for 175 GPB (RH: they used the symbol for pound, but I am lazy at the moment)."

[Alan Gardner]

Thank you.

By coincidence(?), my bottle IS (or was) # 114!

Pictures of labels to follow (not from my camera - so delay in accessing).

[Philippe Borel]

.... And then we have on the web the write-up of Sarah Ahmed ('The wine detective') on the Blandy's tasting of june 22, 11 with her assessment of the 1811 and a very nice photo of same.

[Alan Gardner]

Yes,
That was the 'other bottling' (recorked 1986) I referred to above.

Still no indication if this was the same 'original' solera or a completely different wine.

[Philippe Borel]

Ah well! It may be this bottling, it may be that bottling..... In the world of ancient madeiras you never know, you may think you do but in fact you don't.
At the end of the day moving away from the lure of ancient wines who are ancient but not as ancient as one may dream there is some a an interesting
liquid in a glass. Hope yours was enjoyable. Legally speaking.... or not..... what else matters!

[Alan Gardner]

It is probably appropriate that Sarah Ahmed calls herself 'The Wine Detective' - there is certainly a mystery here that is still unexplained.
She clearly states in her review that "this solera was founded to commemorate the establishment of Blandy’s Madeira and initially contained vintages dating back to 1788. It was matured in seasoned American oak casks for 89 years and was re-bottled in 1986".

BUT, it was bottled in 1900 (as indicated in all other reviews of the same tasting, specifically Richard Mayson - who was the commentator at the tasting in London and pre-tasted the wines in Madeira; and which state it was 'recorked' in 1986).

My (ex-) bottle states it was "blended in 1961" and includes vintages back to 1788.
Difficult to explain how a wine blended in 1961 could have been bottled in 1900 - and amazingly also from vintages back to 1788!

Of course, it could be a completely different wine with the same name!

We definitely need a detective here!

[Roy Hersh]

OK, your last post got me curious enough, that I had to go grab my empty bottle off the shelf in my basement. This bottle came directly to the SF Bicentennary Celebration with Michael and Chris Blandy, (the MWC winemaker Francisco Albuquerque and Rupert Symington) earlier this year. It is an old but not ancient bottling, a two-piece bottle with seams showing lengthwise and a fairly new MWC back label, that had to be brought in through their US Importer. No other worthy info exists on the label itself, when it comes to helping with the identification. The mystery continues.

[Alan Gardner]

I followed up on the pictures - now on their way to you separately.
The front picture is excellent and shows the capsule (but not from above). The back is 'decipherable' but out-of-focus.
The bottle (now empty) can probably be located - when done I'll find/make a better back label copy.

[Roy Hersh]

Alan,

I have posted a picture as well with several bottles that were in SF back in March. It is located on the FOR THE LOVE OF PORT Facebook page. Go have a look and see if they are similar or identical.

[Niklas J]

Hi Alan,

I had the 1811 at the bicentenary tasting in Funchal. Then I was given the info as well, that it spent 89 years in cask, bottled in 1900 and recorked in 1986. However, if you have Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine book and look up the 1811, he writes - and I quote:

Said to include vintages back to 1788, blended in 1961

Michael tasted it in April 1993 in UK. So, this should indicate two different bottlings.

Hope this helps a bit on the way!

All the best,

Niklas

[Alan Gardner]

Thanks Niklas.

I agree, there do seem to be 2 different bottlings.
One bottled in 1900 (re-corked 1986) and served at the Bi-centenary tastings.
The other 'blended' in 1961 and tasted by Broadbent, mentioned in Cossart's book (and consumed by me - AND the Cossart mention was the EXACT bottle we had).

BUT this is (? these are) described as a 'solera' - which involves the whole process of withdrawing and refreshing. So where are the 'other' bottlings?

Hence my speculation - this is actually a blend of older wines - laid down in 1811 and possibly never ever refreshed since then, with only two 'withdrawals' (bottlings); once in 1900 and once in 1961.

[Roy Hersh]

Well at that rate, we won't have to wait long, just another decade to 2022, when the next 61 years will have passed and it will obviously be time for the next bottling.

[Alan Gardner]

I now have an explanation ….believable (and potentially verifiable) – which fits with the ‘facts’ outlined above.
Some (all?) of you will be aware of the Transcendental Terrantez tasting, extensively documented by Roy, Peter and others. At the dinner following the tasting I approached Chris Blandy to see if he was able to add anything to ‘the story so far’. Although he wasn’t able to help, by coincidence (or serendipity) he was seated next to Mannie Berk, who was able to add (from memory) almost complete details. Mannie has had much access to the records of Madeira Wine Company and recalls documents pertaining to this wine.

Apparently there were ‘ancient’ stocks of various wines in the cellar that were, frankly, not considered worthy of release as single vintages, as they weren’t of good enough quality. Accordingly, in 1961 (to celebrate the 150th anniversary) a blend of some of these older wines (quite possibly as old as 1788) was made. Exactly why this was designated a solera isn’t clear (although obviously it couldn’t be labelled a ‘vintage’). Overall this wasn’t considered a ‘stellar’ madeira – just a blend (very old) of what had been considered ‘off’ vintages.
Our tasting ranked this wine as below the quality of the other wines served at our event, although still perfectly viable – just not outstanding.

As Mannie said – “ I Hope you didn’t pay a lot for this”!

[Steve Pollack]

Nice work, Alan!