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Vintage Hallmark
Founded
1998
Company type
Independent Bottler
Vintage Hallmark PLC was a company established in 1998 by David Lamb, Richard Gunter and Robin Grove. Initially a drinks investment company, it bottled its own brands of whisky, Cognac and champagne and predominantly offered them to wealthy medical professionals in the US and Canada. It was acquired by a second company, Vintage Hallmark of St. James's PLC in late 2000 however, and the operation ended acrimoniously as its directors were accused of fraud after the new company encouraged its investors to swap their items for worthless equity in the new company.
The result was that the original Vintage Hallmark only produced a small handful of whisky bottlings in early 2000. Although limited, they were of high quality and featured interesting examples for closed distilleries and featured tasting notes from the legendary Wallace Milroy on the labels.
Former brands
Blended Whisky,
Single Malt
1995
1998
2000
2003
2006
2010
2011
David Lamb, Richard Gunter and Robin Grove begin initial sales drive, offering investment bottles of wine and spirits to wealthy buyers in US and Canada.
The company of Vintage Hallmark PLC is formed.
The first and only Vintage Hallmark bottlings of whisky are released in April that year.
Attempts to trademark the term Vintage Hallmark are successfully opposed by Morrison Bowmore Distillers.
The company is acquired by the new Vintage Hallmark of St. James's PLC. Clients are encouraged to swap their investments for equity.
Vintage Hallmark of St. James's PLC collapses in January and equity proven to be worthless.
Investigation is begun by the The Serious Fraud Office department of the UK government.
David Lamb commits suicide on 1st November.
Richard Gunter and Robin Grove are banned from being UK directors for 15 years for participating in investment fraud.
Richard Gunter pleads guilty to fraud. He is sentenced to five years and is subject to a Serious Crime Prevention Order.
Robin Grove is acquitted of one count of false accounting and the jury are unable to come to an agreed decision on charges of conspiracy to defraud.
