Monday 13th October 2025 - Taylor Vertical

[Alex Bridgeman]

It's been a while since I last organised a London tasting, so here goes. Does anyone fancy getting together on a Monday in damp and dismal October to enjoy a Venerable Taylor Vintage Vertical?

When planning my drinking list of bottles to take out of my cellar during 2025, I found 4 bottles of Taylor were waving to me and asking to be opened. I'm happy to share these and use them as the basis for a vertical of mature Taylor (mature being defined as being of at least 21 years of age).

I originally suggested a Monday since I wanted to use a Hawksmoor - either my regular of Air Street or my irregular of Borough - and take advantage of their £5 per cork corkage offer. Sadly, Hawksmoor have been pretty useless at responding to any of my requests so I've abandoned the idea of using them (but they do work really well for 3-6 people who just want 2-3 glasses at a time).

Instead, I've booked us in to the private dining room at Noble Rot in Mayfair and ordered a suckling pig (which comes with Champagne choucroute).

Start time is 6.00pm (we have been asked not to arrive before 6pm). Carriages at 11.00pm. Approximate cost per person for food, service and glass hire is £150-200.

The format of the evening will be:
6.00pm aperitifs; order starters from the a la carte menu; prep any bottles which need 2+ hours of decanting
6.30pm starters
7.00pm main course (suckling pig)
7.45pm dessert
8.00pm table cleared and laid out for tasting of 12 vintages of Taylor VP (currently 1948-1900). Glasses have been ordered in so we can taste all the wines side-by-side.
11.00pm carriages

Aperitifs and wine to accompany the pig will be ordered from the restaurant wine list.

There are 8 places available around the table. Places will be allocated on the basis of the age of the bottle(s) that can be offered for inclusion in the line-up - the older the wine you can contribute, the higher your place on the list.

Attendees:

1. Me - 1878, 1900, 1917, 1920
2. Cliff - 1908, 1912
3. Michael - 1924
4. Tony - 1927
5. Charles - 1935
6. Martin - 1942 and jointly with Tony the 1884
7. Harry - 1945
8. Neil - 1948

Current draft of the placemats.

[winesecretary]

Would love to attend. I have 1992 and 2003 I think. Possibly 1985, probably 1977.

[CPR 1]

Yes please. I can bring the 35

[flash_uk]

Oh yes please. Have 60, 66 and others - will figure out and revert.

Edited per request to add bottles Alex has mentioned: also have 55, 63 and 70

[forest26]

Yes please

[forest26]

Will dig something appropriate out

[idj123]

Yes please!

[nac]

Yes please.

[nac]

Yes please.

Have 48, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 77 and some later ones (and all of the 1961, 1964-1971 Single Harvests).

[nac]

Yes please.

Have 48, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 77 and some later ones (and all of the 1961, 1964-1971 Single Harvests).

63 is Blenheim Palace stock.

[PhilW]

Yes please. Could offer Justerini 60 (believed Taylor, though not definitive), T63 (which you already have so don't need), T66, T77 or T85.
(am assuming you mean VP and not SHTs btw)

[Alex Bridgeman]

Yes please. Could offer Justerini 60 (believed Taylor, though not definitive), T63 (which you already have so don't need), T66, T77 or T85.
(am assuming you mean VP and not SHTs btw)

You’re right, I do mean VPs. I’ll amend the first post appropriately. Thank you.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Hmm. For clarity I should also share with everyone that I plan to bring all 4 bottles I’ve listed. I’m looking for people to bring different vintages from those. If everyone else brought 1 bottle, we'd have 11 between us.

Of course, if someone was willing to bring a magnum then my OCD would be soothed and we’d have a nice dozen bottles between us…

[flash_uk]

Oh yes please. Have 60, 66 and others - will figure out and revert.

Also have 55 and 63 + 70, 77, 94 but most of that is moot with Alex clarifying he's already bringing 55 and 63

[hadge]

I'm to slow, so I'm first reserve, I have the following to offer, T45, mag of 70, will have to double check what other mags

[Justin K]

Yes please!
I have '55, '60, '63, '70, '77, '85 & '94. Would prefer if I make the cut to use an Irish bottled '70 as I have one in the UK!

[idj123]

So, ignoring Alex’s bottles, I have 60, 66 and 77 (Magnum) plus some later stuff.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Ouch, my head hurts.

My plan is to try to put together as old a vertical as I can, giving seats round the table to the 8 people who can offer the oldest bottles.

Currently that would be:

1. Tony - something appropriate
2. Charles - 1935
3. Harry - 1945
4. Me - 1948 (which also brings 1955, 1963 and 1970)
5. Mike was the first to offer 1960¹
6. Neil was the first to offer 1966¹
7. George was the first to offer 1977¹
8. Phil was the first to offer 1985¹
9. Justin was the first to offer 1994¹
10. Ian has offered bottles already offered by people higher up the list than him
    
    ¹(this being the oldest vintage he offered not already supplied by someone higher up the list than him)
    
    If the tasting is limited to 8 (which is what Hawksmoor have said they would prefer) Phil with his 1985 would be the last seat at the table and in jeopardy of someone trumping his 1985 with an older vintage not already in the line-up.
    
    The line-up would be:
    1935, 1945, 1948, 1955, 1960, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1985 plus the bottle Tony brings (which would need to be a vintage not already on the list and no younger then 1985).

[Bertie3000]

Hi Alex I would be interested if not too late. I have 1924 and 1927 as well as some of the newer vintages. I think I might have one other not listed but need to check at weekend.

[Alex Bridgeman]

Hi Alex I would be interested if not too late. I have 1924 and 1927 as well as some of the newer vintages. I think I might have one other not listed but need to check at weekend.

Michael, the 1927 or 1924 would certainly get you a seat at the table (sorry Phil).

Let me know at the weekend what you'd like to offer.

[Bertie3000]

Hi Alex let’s go with the 1924. If there are any issues I can let you know at weekend.

[PhilW]

Michael, the 1927 or 1924 would certainly get you a seat at the table (sorry Phil).

No worries - I didn't think anything post-70 would last long on the list, so I was likely already a goner unless you fancied the J&B

[idj123]

Ofc my 1977 was is a mag and given what you said about rounding to 12 bottles-just saying…

[jdaw1]

Yes please.

1. 1985 Taylor in magnum;
2. 1970 Taylor;
3. 1970 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas;
4. 1955 Taylor bottled by Hennecky’s;
5. 1955 Taylor bottled by Hunter & Oliver.

[Alex Bridgeman]

In the spirit of openness and honesty, with Michael’s offer to bring the 1924, I am considering replacing some of my younger vintages with older vintages which are not yet on the list.

That would, in turn, trigger a re-working of who was bringing what. And who therefore has a seat at the dinner table

But I won’t be able to do that until the weekend. If anyone wanting to attend has bottles I have said I will bring, please edit your post to include them.

[jdaw1]

1. 1985 Taylor in magnum;
2. 1970 Taylor;
3. 1970 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas;
4. 1955 Taylor bottled by Hennecky’s;
5. 1955 Taylor bottled by Hunter & Oliver.

[winesecretary]

I might be about to commit heresy, and I am certainly suffering from pre-holiday-blues, so you may put this down to that.

My attendance at this tasting now becomes less likely, not only because I have little port from before 1960, but also because the older it is the more I worry that other people will enjoy it (and thus appreciate the seat) more. I don’t want to abuse the extraordinary generosity of this group.

I love wonderful survivals, and some of the best port I have tasted with this group (and therefore in my life) has been from the 1920s, but it is the miraculously fresh bottles - that taste younger than their years but have nevertheless gained an extra complexity through slow quiet ageing - that excite me.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I might be about to commit heresy, and I am certainly suffering from pre-holiday-blues, so you may put this down to that.

My attendance at this tasting now becomes less likely, not only because I have little port from before 1960, but also because the older it is the more I worry that other people will enjoy it (and thus appreciate the seat) more. I don’t want to abuse the extraordinary generosity of this group.

I love wonderful survivals, and some of the best port I have tasted with this group (and therefore in my life) has been from the 1920s, but it is the miraculously fresh bottles - that taste younger than their years but have nevertheless gained an extra complexity through slow quiet ageing - that excite me.

I don’t consider your thoughts heretical in any way. I have a few odd older bottles of Taylor which I’d like to open to taste alongside some other comparable bottles.

Next tasting I organise will be more along the lines of a traditional vertical or cellar reduction party, which will be more inclusive.

[mcoulson]

Hi Alex, I'd like to join in if it works please ... I can bring T47 with me - I have more as well but others have offered them already tho I do also have 68 & 69 which I don't think have been offered yet

[winesecretary]

@ Alex - I am sorry if I came across as grumpy, I was attempting gracefully to resign my seat to those who enjoy this stuff (even) more than I do. I will enjoy reading the tasting notes.

[Doggett]

Yes please, would need to properly confirm in the summer or go onto the reserve list if places already taken, and most likely adopt as the ones I have are already allocated.

[Alex Bridgeman]

@ Alex - I am sorry if I came across as grumpy, I was attempting gracefully to resign my seat to those who enjoy this stuff (even) more than I do. I will enjoy reading the tasting notes.

You didn't come across to me as grumpy; I apologise for making it seem that I thought you had. (We are nice and polite on this forum, aren't we?)

I'm just very aware that 99% of the time we arrange tastings which are very inclusive, and that's one of the things I love about this group of wonderful people. Some of us have very deep Port cellars and enjoy nothing more than sharing bottles with people who enjoy this glorious wine.

But I feel a little bit guilty about this tasting, because I know that a lot of good friends won't be able to offer a bottle which gets them a seat at the table. I have some rather old bottles of Taylor which I'd like to open and enjoy in the context of other vintages of a similar age - which is, I hope, marginally better than opening them on my own at home.

[Alex Bridgeman]

I've now had chance to collate everything people have offered onto a spreadsheet (I love a good spreadsheet) and have updated the first post with the allocation of seats and assignment of bottles. This allocation can and will change as people buy / discover / offer up older bottles.

Essentially though, if you'd like a seat at the table you'll need to be able to offer a bottle from the 1942 vintage or older.

I also set everyone a challenge. I am determined to bring the oldest vintage to this tasting. Currently Michael is bringing the 1924, so I am bringing 1920 and 1917. Can anyone offer anything older than 1924?

[jdaw1]

A draft of the placemats has been added to the first post.

[flash_uk]

A draft of the placemats has been added to the first post.

Nice placemats.

[nac]

Alex - given the quality of what’s being provided it might be worth checking with Hawksmoor that they have sufficient & consistent glassware available to support this event? They’ve been a bit hit & miss at some of our previous lunches there…

[Alex Bridgeman]

Alex - given the quality of what’s being provided it might be worth checking with Hawksmoor that they have sufficient & consistent glassware available to support this event? They’ve been a bit hit & miss at some of our previous lunches there…

Good thought, thanks.

[jdaw1]

A draft of the placemats has been added to the first post.

Nice placemats.

Thank you. Inspired by those of the Taylor vertical on 26 Mar 2022, which were in turn inspired by those of the Taylor vertical on 22 Mar 2013.

[cem]

If you feel able to fit one more in, I am over in the UK in October and can provide two Taylor legends, the 1908 and the 1912.

[Alex Bridgeman]

If you feel able to fit one more in, I am over in the UK in October and can provide two Taylor legends, the 1908 and the 1912.

That definitely gets you to the table. I’ll rework the list on the first post later today.

[flash_uk]

My fingers are beginning to hurt...

[nac]

One post says I’m (potentially) bringing 48, another says 66. Confused.

[Alex Bridgeman]

One post says I’m (potentially) bringing 48, another says 66. Confused.

The first post is the definitive list. Other lists are just workings-out.

So you’re down for the 1948.

[hadge]

I also set everyone a challenge. I am determined to bring the oldest vintage to this tasting. Currently Michael is bringing the 1924, so I am bringing 1920 and 1917. Can anyone offer anything older than 1924?

With the 1908 now being the oldest vintage. I'm now very interested in what is going to happen to Alex's bottle lineup.

[Alex Bridgeman]

With 8 places at the table and with places being allocated on the basis of the age of the bottle(s) that can be offered for inclusion in the line-up - the older the wine you can contribute, the higher your place on the list - the attendee list changes with Cliff's generous offer.

Ian, apologies, but you drop to the subs bench.

Mike, keep those fingers crossed.

Attendees and bottles now become:
Me - 1900, 1917, 1920, 1940
Cliff - 1908, 1912
Michael - 1924
Tony - 1927
Charles - 1935
Harry - 1945
Neil - 1948
Mike - 1955

Reserves
Ian - 1960

1942 is the youngest full vintage that will get a seat at the table.

First post will be updated accordingly.

[Christopher]

Please add me to reserve I have a 27 and 45

[jdaw1]

The draft of the placemats has been updated.

[mcoulson]

I've had a hunt around the cellar and happen to have a T42 so may I join in please?

(Sorry Mike)

[winesecretary]

We might need a Taylor vertical- part 2 - the postwar years. That I would very much like to attend. In fact, I’ll arrange it.

Attendees - Ian, Mike, George…

[flash_uk]

(Sorry Mike)

A degree of inevitability