Madinina Vintage 1895 - Rum from the Habitation Saint-Pierre

Madinina Vintage 1895 Rum from the Habitation Saint-Pierre

In 1991, on the site of Bercy, the Archaeological Mission of Old Paris discovered a batch of bottles decorated, some 6,000 years ago, by our first Parisian ancestors.

Centuries passed... and Bercy, at the gates of the capital, knew many other stories.

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  • 1.0L
  • 45°
  • Amber
  • Martinique

In 1891, Michel Fanton, who came from an old winegrower line on the banks of the Saône, unknowingly going back to the almost mythical sources of Bercy, had been offering his Parisian customers wines in barrels and wines sealed in bottles for 30 years.

At the same time, the second of his sons, François-Marius, a shrewd traveller, roamed old Europe in search of high-end products...

St. Petersburg, Antwerp, Madeira... He was seen even more in the West Indies, and especially in the most endearing of them: he had developed a passion for Martinique (MADININA, in the lilting language of beautiful Indian women) where the "Habitations", these large sugar cane plantations, flourished at the time.

A cataclysm, the eruption of Mount Pelee on May 8, 1902, put an abrupt end to these enchanting business trips.

Fortunately, by chance or premonition, our ancestor from Bercyquois had brought back from his last trip to Saint-Pierre. An exceptional batch of Martinican cane eau-devie, "pure vesou", harvested in 1895, aged for 7 years in wood, which the Registrar of the Commercial Court of Paris entered some time later in his registers under this beautiful baptismal name.

These are some of these bottles full of adventure and history that were "forgotten" in one of the most beautiful cellars of Bercy...

... a large building, the Cour Louis Proust, which until a few months ago, behind its rows of barrels, hid the façade of the Petit-Château de Bercy on the Seine.

This residence, built in 1710 by the last of the Dukes of Gesvres, is the ultimate witness of the "Bercy of the Kings" and its fêtes galantes. It was home to several generations of breeders of great wines and old spirits.

And 20 years ago, Michel Fanton's great-grandsons, family archivists and amateur historians, had the pleasure of bringing this professional idyll back to life: BERCY, CELLIER DU MONDE and Madinina, the pearl of the CARAIBES.

They were also able to obtain - an extremely rare fact - the official recognition of the vintage, "with the right to mention 1895 on the label". Authorisation granted on the basis of evidence, in December 1977 by the competent Directorate of the Brigade for the Control of Wines and Spirits in Appellations d'Origine (Appellations of Origin)

The bottle, with a capacity of a little more than 100cl, pans, blown glass, encrusted with dust, has remained as it is, an engraved capsule sometimes half eaten away by time. The glass and capsule are original.
The cap is also original and requires the utmost caution when opening.


He will have to be forgiven for this minor imperfection. He has remained the guardian of your next pleasure for so long! 
François Fanton - December 1995

 

Fortunately, the bottle has always been stored upright in a cellar with high humidity. The level, which is very slightly low, testifies to this excellent preservation of more than 120 years.
Regarding the label : The packaging, although kept separately in a locker, has not withstood time, humidity, rodents, etc. The current label is an exact reproduction of the original packaging.
As for the Coffret, it is made of beech or pine wood, the bottle resting on a bed of grey moss evoking volcanic ash.

amber colour, golden-green-orange – fine, delicate nose, - cane, vanilla, stone, prune, dried apricots, dried fruit – raw, dry, peppery, liquorice finish – fat, still ethereal. 
Tasting notes Jean Michel Deluc, Direction des Sommeliers du Ritz – April 28, 1995

Additional Characteristics

  • It is indeed an agricultural rum, obtained by distillation of the vesou (fresh cane juice obtained by casing sugar cane).
  • The degree is estimated at 45% (originally 55%).
  • Rhum de l'Habitation Saint-Pierre" (destroyed on 8 May 1902 by the eruption of Mount Pelée) - Martinique lees - Harvest 1895.
  • Lot imported in barrels from Saint-Pierre Martinique in the spring of 1902.
  • Bottled between 1904 and 1906, at Bercy, by M. Fanton & fils, Importers.

From then until July 1993, the bottles were kept in a cellar adjoining the cellars of the Fanton house at 5 cour Louis Proust in Bercy (Paris). Room on clay, without light, with high humidity.

A 3-page bound archive from the 90's will be delivered with the bottle and its wooden box. This archive is signed by François Fanton.

  • Presented in Box
  • 7 years of aging
  • Vintage 1895
  • Distilled from fresh sugar cane juice (agricole method)
  • Aging Tropical

Our packaging is completely shock-proof and 100% recyclable. Our packaging meet all the requirements of many partner carriers, especially for international carriers. They are lightweight, and offer very good result in terms of strength and impact resistance. Your order is ensured during transport against all damage by insurance that we agree with our charges for each of your parcel.

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