18 January 2023 We now have compiled 89 verticals below.
12 January 2023 Matthieu unearthed 17 more, added here.
11 January 2023 Another nine added, thanks again to Matthieu Boillat!
Later that same day Many thanks to Purple Pager Matthieu Boillat for unearthing another 26 verticals undertaken between 2000 and 2014, which we've added to the list below.
10 January 2023 We've so far found 26 of these tasting articles focused on multiple vintages from a single château but we're sure there are more. Help needed!
James Lawther MW has been doing such a sterling job of providing accounts of vertical tastings at notable Bordeaux châteaux recently that I thought they deserved a guide to help you find them, on this day when we publish the most recent.
But then I knew that before James joined us we published accounts of many a vertical tasting, too, so I set about trying to find them. Below is probably only a partial list as it is largely formed by my searching for the word ‘vertical’ when I know that many of our relevant bordeaux tastings do not have that word in the title.
Please do let us know via the Members’ forum or our contact link if you encounter any other tasting articles that belong in this list, which stretches back to the very early days of Purple Pages (when I had to explain scores and drink dates!).
Of course the wines will have evolved considerably since some of the older tasting articles below were written, but the fact that red and sweet white bordeaux lasts such a long time vindicates the attempted completeness of this guide, I feel.
We will continue to add to this list, with the most recently published article at the top.
Château Suduiraut 2001–2021 James Lawther MW 12 December 2023
Domaine de Chevalier – 1983 to 2022 James Lawther MW 2 October 2023
Ch Meyney – St-Estèphe's bargain James Lawther MW 1 August 2023
Ducru-Beaucaillou – 2003 to 2022 Julia Harding MW 2 May 2023
The Singapour – March 2023 (includes Ch Troplong Mondot 2019–1999) Richard Hemming MW 31 March 2023
Gruaud Larose revived James Lawther MW 20 March 2023
Ch Montrose vertical James Lawther MW 10 January 2023
Ch La Gaffelière – no longer on the B-team? James Lawther MW 11 October 2022
Ch Les Carmes Haut-Brion’s new era James Lawther MW 11 August 2022
Durfort-Vivens’ transformation James Lawther MW 5 July 2022
Ch Quintus vertical (within A St-Émilion marathon in London) Jancis Robinson 14 June 2022
Ch Troplong Mondot vertical back to 1962 Andy Howard MW 3 May 2022
Ch Figeac 2005–2019 James Lawther MW 19 April 2022
Ch Ducru-Beaucaillou 2001–1995 Jancis Robinson 5 April 2022
Ch Talbot 2000–2019 James Lawther MW 29 March 2022
Yquem back to 1899 Jancis Robinson 14 January 2022
Mouton in the nineties Andy Howard MW 26 October 2021
Pontet-Canet reassessed James Lawther MW 8 August 2021
Ch Léoville Poyferré vertical Jancis Robinson and Julia Harding MW 16 March 2021
Haut-Bailly – the Bob Wilmers years 1998-2017 James Lawther MW 19 August 2020
Mature Ch Margaux assessed and more Jancis Robinson 18 February 2019
L'Aurage 10 years on Julia Harding MW 16 March 2018
The Lafite Rothschilds celebrate 150 years Jancis Robinson 30 May 2018
Twenty years of Clos L'Église Richard Hemming MW 9 April 2018
A Dutruch vertical Jancis Robinson 29 August 2018
Roc de Cambes – the philosopher's other wine Julia Harding MW 18 October 2017
BAMA – the oak-free Margaux (Ch Bel-Air Marquis d’Aligre) Jancis Robinson 10 October 2017
Malartic celebrates 20 years Richard Hemming MW 25 September 2017
Larrivaux and Lafon-Rochet Jancis Robinson 11 August 2017
50 years of La Parde (Haut-Bailly) Jancis Robinson 3 August 2017
Getting André Lurton out of the closet Jancis Robinson 6 July 2017
Conseillante – bottle v double magnum Jancis Robinson 16 May 2017
Ch Climens ‘recent’ vertical Jancis Robinson 17 March 2017
Pavillon du Ch Margaux – an unusual vertical Jancis Robinson 14 December 2015
Dr Brown, Mr Borie (Ch Ducru-Beaucaillou 1982–2014) Alex Hunt MW 3 November 2015
Mouton – the Dhalluin effect Jancis Robinson 21 September 2015
Figeac at Figeac Jancis Robinson 9 September 2015
La Fleur Morange vertical Jancis Robinson 17 July 2015
Underrated Ch Reynon Jancis Robinson 9 July 2015
L'Église-Clinet – standing the test of time Jancis Robinson 22 May 2015
Cathiards celebrate 25 years at Smith Haut Lafitte Jancis Robinson 6 May 2015
Climens vertical Richard Hemming MW 28 May 2014
Ch Figeac – 14 vintages including 2013 Jancis Robinson 14 April 2014
Cos d’Estournel back to 1986 Jancis Robinson 10 September 2013
Ch Trotanoy – some fleshy highlights Jancis Robinson 17 September 2012
Avery-underwritten La Mission dinner Jancis Robinson 2 April 2012
Ch Haut-Bailly Jancis Robinson 15 November 2011
Ch Angélus – a quarter century of Hubert Jancis Robinson 1 November 2011
A Bordeaux vertizontal (Chx Palmer, Léoville Barton, Cos d'Estournel and Mouton-Rothschild) Jancis Robinson 5 October 2011
Ch Clinet back to BR Jancis Robinson 15 March 2011
Waving farewell to Lafite Jancis Robinson 17 February 2011
Conseillante – 40 vintages back to 1945 Jancis Robinson 29 December 2010
Climens back to 1921 Jancis Robinson 21 December 2010
The Médoc Outsider (Ch St-Saturnin) Jancis Robinson 13 November 2010
Larose-Trintaudon reassessed Jancis Robinson 1 September 2010
Grand-Puy Lacoste shows off Jancis Robinson 15 April 2010
Latour and Pétrus Jancis Robinson 18 March 2010
Sixty years of Ch Figeac Jancis Robinson 16 March 2010
La Mission and Haut-Brion Jancis Robinson 15 March 2010
Ch Lagrange back to 1988 Jancis Robinson 10 February 2010
Pichon Lalande back to 1991 Julia Harding MW 9 December 2009
Sociando-Mallet – 54 tasting notes Jancis Robinson 24 September 2009
Palmer back to 1985 Julia Harding MW 14 September 2009
Les Forts and Ch Latour verticals Jancis Robinson and Ronan Sayburn MS 7 July 2009
Ch Climens back to 1964 Julia Harding MW 13 May 2009
Ch Latour 1964–1991 Jancis Robinson 16 March 2009
Lynch-Bages in great nick Richard Hemming MW 27 October 2008
Léoville Poyferré back to 1929 Julia Harding MW 26 September 2008
La Fleur Morange – the carpenter's St-Émilion Jancis Robinson 26 June 2008
La Mission vertical – the tasting notes Jancis Robinson 23 May 2008
Bordeaux – five recent verticals (Chx Smith Haut-Lafitte, Guiraud, d'Aigulhe, Angélus, Léoville Poyferré) Jancis Robinson 12 May 2008
2007 may be like 2004 – Ch Margaux Jancis Robinson 13 March 2009
A wallow in Léoville and Langoa Barton Jancis Robinson 18 December 2007
Yquem from 2003 back to 1899 with Bipin Jancis Robinson 28 November 2007
Ch Lafleur – the Guinaudeau era Jancis Robinson 12 November 2007
Chevals back to 1921 with Bipin Jancis Robinson 4 November 2007
Gruaud Larose – back to 1964 via some high and low spots Jancis Robinson 27 October 2007
Four Bordeaux verticals Jancis Robinson 18 May 2007
Bernard Magrez bordeaux back to 1998 Jancis Robinson 30 April 2007
Cheval Blanc back to two bottlings of the fabled 1947 Jancis Robinson 4 April 2007
Ch La Tour Haut-Brion back to 1947 Jancis Robinson 9 February 2007
L'Evangile – 1990 back to 1966 Jancis Robinson 17 August 2006
Haut-Brion and its stablemates – 2001 back to 1982 Jancis Robinson 21 June 2006
Domaine de Chevalier – 1916–2004 Jancis Robinson 18 February 2006
Ch Pichon Lalande 2003 back to 1926 Jancis Robinson 5 January 2006
Ch Montrose back to 1888 Jancis Robinson 24 September 2005
Twenty vintages of Ch Angélus Jancis Robinson 16 May 2005
Mouton in top vintages 2001–1982 Jancis Robinson 18 November 2004
Ch Lafleur – a vertical Jancis Robinson 15 September 2004
Ch Petrus vertical Jancis Robinson 10 March 2004 (when the property was still known as Ch Pétrus)
A quarter-century of Cheval Blanc Jancis Robinson 2 January 2003
Some top vintages of Ch Tertre Roteboeuf, St-Émilion superstar Jancis Robinson 26 June 2003
La Mission Haut Brion 1985-1999 (and Haut Brion 1989–1990) Jancis Robinson 23 May 2003
Château Latour 1959–2000 Jancis Robinson 5 May 2003
Latour and Lafite – a look back from 1994 to 1978 Jancis Robinson 7 October 2002
Calon Ségur – a vertical Jancis Robinson 8 December 2001(!)
Image above from YinYang via Getty Images.