Torre Bella vs Bolger
Posted: Fri Mar 22, 2024 7:09 pm
I need some help for CellarTracker. Christies recently had some lots they labelled as Bolger, but we seem to have them as Torre Bella. I understand the history of TB is fractured, but I don't find anything really on Bolger aside from what Christies says:
"The vast Torre Bella estate can trace its origin all the way back to the first settlers who discovered Madeira. Some of the best vineyards on the island belonged to Torre Bella, mostly in Campanário, Camara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Arco da Calheta.
They had "lagares" in São Roque (Funchal), Cª Lobos, Campanário and Arco da Calheta, where they used to make wine. Over the centuries supplying the shippers with fine wines though hardly ever was any wine bottled under the Torre Bella name. Only small quantities were bottled and stored in the family house.
Noel Cossart describes the Torre Bella wines as having a specific character: “The Wines, which are mostly from the Câmara de Lobos and Arco da Calheta vineyards, are full, rich, well-balanced wines with an attractive acid finish.”
Back in 1864 Christie’s sold the private Madeira collection of Russell Manners Gordon, Visconde de Torre Bella. The estate was inherited over time by Mr Dermot Bolger, at the time of his death the family estate owned about 10,5% of the island. Dermot Bolger was also responsible for the revival of Malvasia Candida by replanting this variety in 1940, then only a few plants remained. Malvasia Candida was always highly sought after and is amongst some of the finest Madeira’s ever made.
All the bottles in this selection come from the old Bolger family and were bottled from their original old demi johns of about 20 liters."
It sounds like these wines should be consider as Torre Bella though I can see where Bolger might be considered a shipper. Most of the bottles seem to just have Bolger on the front label.
I didn't find any references to Bolger in the archives here which is really weird given how much the family seems involved in the history of the island.
What are the thoughts here?
"The vast Torre Bella estate can trace its origin all the way back to the first settlers who discovered Madeira. Some of the best vineyards on the island belonged to Torre Bella, mostly in Campanário, Camara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and Arco da Calheta.
They had "lagares" in São Roque (Funchal), Cª Lobos, Campanário and Arco da Calheta, where they used to make wine. Over the centuries supplying the shippers with fine wines though hardly ever was any wine bottled under the Torre Bella name. Only small quantities were bottled and stored in the family house.
Noel Cossart describes the Torre Bella wines as having a specific character: “The Wines, which are mostly from the Câmara de Lobos and Arco da Calheta vineyards, are full, rich, well-balanced wines with an attractive acid finish.”
Back in 1864 Christie’s sold the private Madeira collection of Russell Manners Gordon, Visconde de Torre Bella. The estate was inherited over time by Mr Dermot Bolger, at the time of his death the family estate owned about 10,5% of the island. Dermot Bolger was also responsible for the revival of Malvasia Candida by replanting this variety in 1940, then only a few plants remained. Malvasia Candida was always highly sought after and is amongst some of the finest Madeira’s ever made.
All the bottles in this selection come from the old Bolger family and were bottled from their original old demi johns of about 20 liters."
It sounds like these wines should be consider as Torre Bella though I can see where Bolger might be considered a shipper. Most of the bottles seem to just have Bolger on the front label.
I didn't find any references to Bolger in the archives here which is really weird given how much the family seems involved in the history of the island.
What are the thoughts here?
![[cheers.gif]](./images/smilies/cheers.gif "Toast"){kind=small}
