Sercial, Cossart Gordon Madeira, Porto, 1954

Seller description

Cossart Gordon can trace its beginnings back to 1745 when it was founded by three Scotsmen, Francis Newton, his brother Thomas , Thomas Gordon and Thomas Murdoch. It is the oldest company in the Madeira trade. An Irishman, William Cossart, joined the firm in 1808 and by the late nineteenth century the company was active in all areas of the wine trade including Port, Sherry, Marsala and Malaga. The company continued in the vein until the start of World War Two when the firm began to specialise only in Madeira. In 1953 Cossart Gordon became a member of the Madeira Wine Assocation, which would eventually become the Madeira Wine Company. In 1989 the Symington Family (world-famous owners of Dows, Grahams, Warres Port et al.) took a majority stake in the Madeira Wine Company which also owns Blandys, Leacocks and Miles Madeira. The Symingtons brought a vast amount of experience, investment and worldwide distribution channels to help reinvigorate the Madeira industry. Due to the unique estufagem aging process Madeira is one of the longest-lived wines and also improves for days after opening, but will keep, once opened, for a month and more in a decanter. This Cossart Gordon 1954 Vintage Madeira is made from 100% Sercial grapes and, like most Sercial is a dry style of Madeira.