By undertaking a vertical tasting of all or most vintages of a wine, one can deeply understand that wine, its history, its stylistic evolution and the context in which it developed.
One of the most effective ways to deeply understand a wine, especially one suitable for long aging, is to approach it in a vertical tasting. Among the more classic producers, it is also a way to get a sense of the evolutions, including stylistic ones, that in different eras those wines have manifested. Even among the most classic and traditional labels, it is possible to detect several.
So there is a pre and post 1985 Barolo Monfortino. A Brunello Riserva Biondi Santi pre and post 1995. A San Leonardo pre and post 2000. These are all aspects that depend on elements related to the entry of new generations, of new collaborators, for example, into the winery, and not only on the different expression of the various wines in relation to vintages and related seasonal trends. From these tastings, winery histories can be reconstructed . Which contribute to a better and deeper understanding of wines of great quality that, however much they are sometimes called “traditional,” have nonetheless undergone changes over the years.
The vertical tastings
Here on DoctorWine we have published many of them. Sassicaia written by me. Monfortino made by Marco Manzoli. Tenuta Nuova di Casanova di Neri by Riccardo Viscardi, lately Amarone by Masi. Then Stefania Vinciguerra is preparing the historical vertical of San Leonardo which we did recently. Iolanda Maggio that of Ruffino’s Riserva Ducale Oro. The editorial staff is doing the one of Fontana Candida’s Frascati Luna Mater, which is really amazing. But just to mention a few, because in the twelve years of our site’s life we have really done a lot of them. (just go to the Degustazioni/La Verticali section of the site) and we believe they have been useful both for us and for our readers to have a more in-depth and effective key.
Then there are personal tastes and beliefs, of course, but in my opinion if they are supported by “important” knowledge one can arrive at an awareness that does justice to many wines that represent the history of our enology. And vertical tastings are a formidable tool in this regard.
