1985 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: 
Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1985 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1985 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!
1985 is unanimously regarded as a wonderful vintage for much of the wine world, especially in Europe.
Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhône and Champagne all put out extraordinary vintages; some, like Champagne, are even regarded as a vintage of the decade. Safe to say, there should still be a wide range of 1985 French wine still drinking well today, particularly long-lived reds from the major growing regions. Italy was also exceptionally good. The Port vintage was universally declared and there will be many great Ports still drinking well today and quite likely for some time still to come. Any of these wines would make a fabulous 40 year old wine gift for an Anniversary or birthday.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
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Bordeaux: The 1985 wine vintage produced examples that are characterised by being well developed, rich and having a seductive complexity with an attractive perfume. A drought for much of August and September led to concentrated grapes at harvest. The wines have now generally gone through the peak of their maturity and should be drunk within the next few years.
Italian: 1985 was an outstanding vintage for Italian wines, one of the best in the last 50 years for Piedmont and Tuscany. The vintage produced wines of great consistency, and the best wines should be great.
Portugal:
The 1985 is a great classic Port Vintage, with concentrated, rich and potent wines. The year was a general declaration of vintage, the majority of Houses judging it to be up to their high standards. 1985 was a model year for the growth of the vines: a wet winter followed by a moderate spring led into an extremely warm June and a hot July and August. The harvest took place under perfect weather conditions, and the fermentations went well also. From the very start shippers were predicting outstanding wines. The resulting ports are characterised as being forward with enormous structure, and staggering depth, dimension, and length. They are at the peak of their maturity and will remain so for another 10-15 years. Spain: 1985 was a near-perfect vintage for Spanish wines, with a warm summer and a perfect ripening season. The wines produced are generally easy-drinking wines of medium intensity. About 10% of wine went into Gran Reserva production.
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29 products found.
Dow's
40 Year Old Tawny Port ***92 Points- Wine Enthusiast***
Dows 40 Year Old Tawny Port A beautiful translucent amber-golden colour and an almost transparent rim with exquisite fragrances of delicate dry fruit coupled with a hint of fine marmalade. A luxuriously silk-like palate with polished elegance and notes of fruit preserves. The complex, long and slightly dry finish reveals nutty praline notes ending with a tea leaf flourish
Dow’s Port is one of the most famous names in the Port trade and today is owned and managed by the fifth generation of the Symington family. The family, whose experience dates back over 100 years, supervises all the vineyards, winemaking and ageing of this wine. …
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Price: £139.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Graham's Port, 1985
Private Cellar Release, Vintage Port
Delivery December 2025
We are delighted to announce the release of a very limited number of bottles of Graham’s 1985 Vintage Ports, drawn directly from Symington Family Estates’ private cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia.
1985 was one of the great classic vintages of the late 20th century. Textbook conditions throughout the growing season – balanced vine growth, a warm dry summer and near-perfect harvest weather – produced concentrated and powerful wines with remarkable ageing potential. Now, after four decades of cellaring in ideal conditions, these Vintage Ports have gained immense complexity and are offered at a glorious stage of maturity. …
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Price: £365.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Perrier Jouet, 1985
La Belle Epoque
Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque 1985
Vintage Background
The 1985 vintage in Champagne is regarded as one of the finest of the decade. A cold winter was followed by a favourable spring and summer, with warm, dry conditions that allowed grapes to ripen fully while preserving acidity. Harvest took place under near-perfect conditions, resulting in wines of richness, precision, and superb ageing potential. For Perrier-Jouët, the vintage offered the ideal platform to craft Belle Époque — its iconic prestige cuvée, celebrated for elegance, finesse, and floral character.
Appearance & Nose
After nearly four decades, the 1985 Belle Époque shows a deep golden colour with a fine yet gentle mousse. …
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Price: £325.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Taittinger, 1985
Taittinger collection, Roy Lichtenstein edition in Presentation Box
Vintage & Edition Background
The 1985 Taittinger Collection Roy Lichtenstein is part of Taittinger’s renowned artist-series, which pairs exceptional vintage Champagnes with striking artwork. Released in 1990, this edition features a bold design by American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, known for his graphic style inspired by comic books. The wine itself is a Brut Vintage 1985, drawn from a blend of approximately 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, sourced from the Grands Crus of Champagne’s Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne.
Appearance & Nose
In the glass the champagne shows a mature golden-amber tone with fine bubbles. …
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Price: £385.00
Stock: Out of Stock