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:
This Year in History: Fun Fact: Walt Disney World received its 200-millionth guest.
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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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33 products found.
Nobile di Montepulciano, 1985
Poliziano - Riserva
Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as Prugnolo gentile) (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged for 2 years (at least 1 year in oak barrels); three years if it is a riserva.
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Price: £89.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Nobile di Montepulciano, 1985
Vecchia Cantina Montepulciano
Nobile di Montepulciano is a red wine with a Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita status produced in the vineyards surrounding the town of Montepulciano, Italy. The wine is made primarily from the Sangiovese grape varietal (known locally as Prugnolo gentile) (minimum 70%), blended with Canaiolo Nero (10%–20%) and small amounts of other local varieties such as Mammolo. The wine is aged for 2 years (at least 1 year in oak barrels); three years if it is a riserva.
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Price: £79.00
Stock: 1 in 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: 1 in Stock
Rosso di Montalcino, 1985
Valdicava
1985 Rosso di Montalcino – Valdicava (Tuscany, Italy)
A rare, fully mature Rosso from one of Montalcino’s great northern estates, showing the graceful, savoury side of aged Sangiovese Grosso. Brick-garnet with a tawny rim, it opens on dried cherry and cranberry, rose petal and violet, with cedar, leather, sweet tobacco and a hint of orange peel and black tea. Mid-weight and silken on the palate: lively, old-school acidity carries red-cherry fruit, dried herbs and subtle undergrowth; tannins are fine and resolved, the finish tapering with cherry skin, cedar spice and dried flowers.
Producer note: Valdicava sits on the cooler, …
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Price: £89.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Rosso Toscano, 1985
Poderi La Chiusa
1985 Rosso Toscano – Poderi La Chiusa (Tuscany, Italy)
A graceful, fully mature Tuscan red that favours perfume and savoury finesse over power. Brick-garnet with a tawny rim, it opens on dried cherry and amarena, rose petal and cedar, with sweet tobacco, leather and hints of orange peel and black tea. The palate is mid-weight and silken: lively, old-school acidity carries savoury red-cherry fruit, dried herbs and a gentle balsamic note; tannins are fine and resolved. The finish is long and tapering with cherry skin, cedar spice and dried flowers.
Producer note: Bottled as Rosso Toscano (IGT), …
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Price: £89.95
Stock: 1 in Stock
Sandeman
40 Year Old Tawny Port
***95 Points- GOLD Winner- IWC 2024***
***95 Points- Gold - Decanter 2024***
Comes in Original Gift Tube
The Sandeman 40 Year Old Tawny Port is a luxurious and complex aged tawny port, known for its exceptional depth and sophistication. This port is the result of meticulous blending and extended aging in oak casks, which imparts rich flavours and a smooth, refined character.
Tasting Notes
Deep amber with golden and greenish highlights, indicating a long aging process. Its aroma is intricate, with notes of dried fruits, toasted nuts, caramel, honey, spice, vanilla, and oak. The palate is remarkably smooth, rich, and full-bodied, with a harmonious blend of dried fruits, toffee, caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and citrus. …
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Price: £149.00
Stock: 5 in Stock
Sangiovese di Romagna, 1985
Cesari
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1985 Sangiovese di Romagna – Cesari (Emilia-Romagna, Italy)
A graceful, fully mature Romagna Sangiovese showing perfume and savoury finesse. Brick-garnet with a tawny rim, the bouquet lifts with dried cherry and amarena, rose petal, cedar and sweet tobacco, touched by orange peel, tea leaf and a gentle balsamic note. Mid-weight and silken on the palate: lively, old-school acidity carries red-cherry fruit, dried herbs and subtle leather; tannins are fine and resolved. The finish is long and tapering with cherry skin, cedar spice and dried flowers.
Producer note: Often bottled by Umberto Cesari, …
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Price: £79.00
Stock: 1 in 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