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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32 products found.
Speyside, 1985
First Cask- Cragganmore Distillery
The First Cask 1985 Speyside Single Malt – 22 Years Old is a rare and characterful whisky from one of Scotland’s most celebrated regions. Bottled as part of the much-admired First Cask series, this single cask expression offers whisky lovers the chance to experience an unrepeatable snapshot of Speyside distilling at its finest. With only around 120–150 bottles drawn from the cask, each one represents genuine scarcity and individuality.
On the nose, this whisky immediately shows its maturity: rich layers of honeyed malt, baked orchard fruits, and vanilla mingle with subtle oak spice. Two decades of careful ageing have created a depth and complexity that is both elegant and inviting. …
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Price: £345.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Taittinger, 1985
Taittinger collection, Roy Lichtenstein edition, vintage champaigne
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: 1 in Stock
Kopke
40 Year Old Tawny Port in Gift Box
Decanter Silver Award ( DWWA 2025 )
RRP £119 Special Offer £99
Offer Ends 30th Sept
This Kopke 40 Year Old Tawny Port is a beautifully balanced and richly complex wine, perfect for savouring on special occasions. Its intricate layers of flavours and aromas make it a delightful experience for the palate, showcasing the masterful aging process and the quality of the port.
Tasting Notes
Deep amber with mahogany highlights, indicating aging. Its aromas include dried fruits, caramel, toffee, butterscotch, roasted nuts, vanilla, and spices. The palate is smooth and luscious, with a pronounced sweetness and well-integrated acidity. The texture is velvety and full-bodied, offering a luxurious mouthfeel. …
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Price: £99.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Chateauneuf du Pape, 1985
Domaine Pere Caboche, Chateauneuf du Pape
This mature and distinguished 1985 Châteauneuf-du-Pape from Domaine du Père Caboche, reflects both the character of an exceptional Rhône vintage and the heritage of one of Châteauneuf’s historic winemaking families. Crafted primarily from old-vine Grenache, with Syrah and Mourvèdre providing depth and structure, this wine has gracefully evolved over nearly four decades, showcasing the elegance and complexity that mark out the great vintages of the southern Rhône.
Tasting Notes
A deep garnet wine with a brick-red rim, it reveals an expressive nose of stewed cherries, dried figs, caramel, and tobacco leaf, layered with subtle hints of leather, garrigue herbs, and sweet spice. …
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Price: £79.95
Stock: Out of Stock
Quinta do Noval, 1985
Vintage Port
damaged labels
The 1985 Quinta do Noval is light, elegant, and charming. The 1985 is quite concentrated having a cherry red colour. It is seductive, and amazingly delicious now that it is fully mature. Fresh, herby edge to the spicy nose.
Learn more about Quinta do Noval
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Price: £99.00
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
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: Out of Stock