What is the single best Madeira "bargain" you've encountered?

[Roy Hersh]

Can you come up with one?

[Eric Ifune]

It was probably 15 or 20 years ago or so, when all wines and especially Madeira were much more inexpensive. Old Madeira was a particular bargin, it was a case of the 1870 Blandy's Malmsey for about $100/bottle at auction.

[Reidar Andersen]

Of recent times.. Yes a fun story.. About 5-6 years ago I found out that an Oscar 1802 T was on auction in Copenhagen.

No way I could join that auction so I mailed the auction house and asked them if it was not sold they could ask the bidder to contact me..

So it happened. It was not sold and the bidder contacted me and gave me an offer I could not resist.

He had three bottles and I could get all three for equivalent of $ 1.400 !! I accepted, but how to get hold of them. It is illigal in this country to import alcohol as a private person. All import through the government liquor company only. Theoreticallly it could have been done through long and expensive paperwork.

Quick thinking...

I was due to arrrive Copenhagen airport on the way home from Singapore a couple of weeks later. He would deliver them to me at the airport, I pay cash and bring it home.

I arrived,went through immigration and customs. We hadd cell contact, met him just outside and got the wine, paid and in again for my connecting flight to Oslo....

[Moses Botbol]

Bargain and Madeira?

When I get the Broadbent 10 for $38, I think that is a bargain.

[Andy Velebil]

Of recent times.. Yes a fun story.. About 5-6 years ago I found out that an Oscar 1802 T was on auction in Copenhagen.

No way I could join that auction so I mailed the auction house and asked them if it was not sold they could ask the bidder to contact me..

So it happened. It was not sold and the bidder contacted me and gave me an offer I could not resist.

He had three bottles and I could get all three for equivalent of $ 1.400 !! I accepted, but how to get hold of them. It is illigal in this country to import alcohol as a private person. All import through the government liquor company only. Theoreticallly it could have been done through long and expensive paperwork.

Quick thinking...
Great story...and a great price too

I was due to arrrive Copenhagen airport on the way home from Singapore a couple of weeks later. He would deliver them to me at the airport, I pay cash and bring it home.

I arrived,went through immigration and customs. We hadd cell contact, met him just outside and got the wine, paid and in again for my connecting flight to Oslo....

[John Trombley]

A Justino Henriques 1860 Bual for US$180 at a local wine store two years ago.

[Al B.]

My best bargain was probably a Christie’s sale in 2021(?) where lots of Madeira bottles from Rhode Island went unsold. I bought a couple of cases (ie. 24 bottles) of Justino VJH 1964 Bual @ £77 / $95 per bottle.

[Yev Nyden]

Madeira prices have skyrocketed in the past decade, and for those of us who got into madeiras not too long ago finding a "bargain" madeira is almost impossible. However, as Al B. mentioned those Christie's auctions of 2022/2023 offered true bargains for Justinos 1934, 1940, 1954, and 1964. Most of the lots were quite large (multiple cases), so now I'm "doomed" to be drinking these madeiras for ages! LOL

[Andreas Platt]

Probably the ancient Borges wines (1720, 1730, 1760, 1780 et al). NOT because they were CHEAP, simply due to the fact that I will not have a future possibility to ever again acquire those, be it because of value or due to their scarcity (we might talk of single digit numbers here).

[Roy Hersh]

Reidar,
Great story, man! I missed this thread somehow. Plus, you nailed 3 bottles of what I consider to be the top Madeira ever produced. I had one again in 2023, possibly the last time I'll have an Acciaioli T from 1802 in my life. It was an extremely memorable day and occasion, with wines back to the mid-18th century, some directly from demijohns which were present.

I like your moxie. I have done a couple of wild airport Port purchases, although likely my best airport exchange was for some rare German Rieslings.

I hope our paths cross again on of these days. A few weeks ago, while on the island and with Ricardo, we talked about getting Mannie with the two of us and resurrecting one final NYC meet up with the old gang and 20 mind-bending bottles, like in the good old days. I would be happy to co-organize one of those, given enough lead time.

[Roy Hersh]

Andreas,

Those are definitely in single digits. I would imagine there are so few left of that 1720 Prather, but I do know two people that own them ... now 3.

[Eric Ifune]

H&H Grand Old Bual for $800 about 3 years ago.
I remember the 1968 D'Oliveiras Boal for 55 euros at the Funchal duty free about 12 years ago.