For The Love Of Port

Hi all. Longtime reader, mainly of the Port forums. I have recently started branching out into learning about Madeira, just as I *finally* started to get a handle on Port.

Anyways, Im awaiting shipment of a bottle of Leacock 1856 Bual (Boal), and I have yet to locate any tasting notes on it. Does anyone here have any information they might share with me? Ive attached a photo of the bottle.

Thanks!

Frank

Hi Frank -

Welcome to For The Love of Port!

While i don't know of any tasting notes for this specific wine, I did pull some info from a 1856 Barbeito Tasting Note. Figured a little info is better than none.

A pre-Phylloxera vintage that came at a time when overall production of Madeira on the island was painfully small due to the arrival of oidium (vine mildew which attacks grapes) in 1852.

Welcome Frank,
Can’t help with this specific wine, but I’ve had others with ‘similar’ labels. In most cases there was also a small back label, saying something like ‘A total of 37 (or 187 or 517) bottles were produced for the benefit of [Leacock or other house, usually a Madeira Wine Company brand].
Occasionally they give a source for the ‘bulk’ wine (although this will be very small quantities).
Unfortunately I don’t have these bottles immediately accessible – I lent them last week for a wine show display.
However, I don’t recall seeing any of these between 1834 and 1862 – so this one is new to me. My guess is there was so little produced (because of oidium, and a similar pattern later, because of phylloxera) that it was never released commercially before being sold off in the latter half of the 20th century.
The good news is that these wines are usually superb.

I wonder when it was bottled and/or labelled. That doesn't look a very recent label. I see the "Bottle No. 82" on the front label, but it doesn't give the total bottled quantity. The Blandy 1884 sercial that I have has the total and the source of the wine.

The Chicago Wine Company sold a bottle for $340 in October 1999. The information is pasted below.

10/99 340 1 BT W1856 BOAL VINTAGE MADEIRA (LEACOCK)(#311;V SL LB CND;LB TPD ON; DAM WAX CAP

Thanks for the comments. I bought the bottle in an auction held by Edward Roberts Int'l based in Chicago. I should be getting the bottle in my hot little hands by Friday, so I'm interested to get a look at the back as well.

Frank

Hi Frank,

Glad you joined us here and decided to post.


Check back here tomorow as I hope to be able to provide you with some more information.

If you have a second, please go to the PORT BASICS forum area and introduce yourself so that others get to say hello too. Many people will not see this thread, certainly not those who just visit for Port. Thanks!

This is from Mannie Berk, the owner of The Rare Wine Co., the best source of Madeira in the USA:

The bottle was shipped in the. Late 50s or early 60s. I don't recall seeing this wine before. So, yes it is rare.

If Mannie has not seen it before, it HAS TO BE RARE!!!