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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28 products found.
Taylor Fladgate, 1985
Vintage Port
The 1985 Taylor’s Vintage Port is a superb expression of the house’s hallmark style—firm, structured, and capable of great longevity. While not quite as monumental as their legendary 1970 or 1994, the 1985 is a standout from this classic declared vintage, showing the balance and precision that Taylor’s is known for. Now approaching 40 years of age, it has entered a glorious period of maturity, offering power, poise, and aromatic complexity in equal measure.
The nose is deep and captivating, with concentrated aromas of blackberry compote, cassis, and dark plum, layered with violet, spice, and graphite. …
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Price: £129.00
Stock: 5 in Stock
Chianti, 1985
Fattoria Conca D'Oro - Cerasi - Riserva
Chianti, situated in Tuscany in central Italy, is home to probably the best-known and most iconic of all Italian wines. Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano are primarily made with Sangiovese grape whereas the Vernaccia grape is the basis of the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano.
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Price: £79.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Rioja, 1985
Muriel Gran Reserva Labels and foils bin soiled
An exceptional mature Rioja from the outstanding 1985 vintage. Now approaching four decades of age, this Gran Reserva displays the elegance and complexity that only time can deliver.
In the glass, the wine shows a deep garnet hue with mahogany reflections. The bouquet is refined and layered, offering aromas of cedar, tobacco leaf, dried cherry, leather, and a touch of roasted coffee. On the palate, it is silky and harmonious, with gentle tannins framing flavours of mature red fruit, spice, and earthy notes. The finish is long, savoury, and beautifully dry – a hallmark of traditional Gran Reserva Rioja. …
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Price: £89.00
Stock: Out of Stock