1986 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations:
1986 Wine – 40 Year Old Anniversary Wines
Welcome to Vintage Wine & Port’s 1986 wine collection. Now entering peak maturity, the best wines from this vintage offer beautifully developed flavours, softened tannins and the complexity that comes with four decades of careful ageing. These characteristics make 1986 wines an excellent choice for a 40th anniversary or milestone birthday gift.
In key regions such as Portugal and Bordeaux, well-made wines from 1986 have matured gracefully, with Port in particular offering rich, ready-to-drink styles and Bordeaux showing classic structure and balance. Our selection focuses on bottles from trusted producers and well-stored cellars, ensuring each wine is drinking well today.
Our Recommended Wines from 1986
Scroll down to explore our full selection. If you would like personal advice, please call us on 01425 837177 or contact us — we would be delighted to help you choose the perfect bottle.
Top Recommendation: Kopke 1986 Colheita Port
A beautifully mature single harvest tawny Port offering exceptional balance, depth and drinkability. Fully aged and ready to enjoy now, making it the most reliable choice for a 40th anniversary gift.
Best Value: Rivesaltes 1986 L’Archiviste
A wonderfully mature fortified wine offering outstanding value, with rich flavours of dried fruits, caramel and spice developed through long ageing.
Premium White Port: Quevedo 1986 White Port
A rare and distinctive aged white Port with rich, honeyed complexity and remarkable depth. A unique and memorable gift option.
Classic Portuguese Red: Porta dos Cavaleiros 1986 (Dão)
A mature Portuguese red with soft tannins and developed character, offering a different expression of the vintage while remaining ready to drink.
Fine & Rare Bordeaux: Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1986
A refined Pauillac Second Growth Bordeaux showing elegant structure, cedar and dark fruit notes
This Year in History: Fun Fact: Halley’s Comet appeared in the night sky, as it also did back in 1682, 1758, 1835, and 1910. Halley’s Comet orbits the sun every 75-76 years, and will not be seen again until 2062.
Eurovision Winner: Belgium with the song "J'aime La Vie" by Sandra Kim
Top Grossing Movie: Top Gun
Bordeaux: 1986 was a strong vintage in the northern Médoc, particularly in Pauillac and St Julien, producing structured wines that have now reached full maturity and are drinking well.
Read full Bordeaux vintage report
1986 was a great vintage for the wines produced in the northern part of Bordeaux (St Julien, Pauillac), where many estates produced deep, concentrated wines built for long ageing. What defines the 1986 vintage is its firm tannic structure, derived from well-ripened grapes that remained on the vine for extended periods before harvest. Now fully mature, these wines have softened and developed complexity, while retaining their classic character. Drinking well today, they make an excellent 40 year old wine gift for a birthday, anniversary or special celebration.
Italian: 1986 was a very good year for Italian wines, with consistent quality across key regions and some particularly fine Barolos from Piedmont. Now fully mature, these wines show developed character, softened tannins and layered complexity, and are drinking well today while still capable of ageing further.
Read full Italian vintage report
The wines produced in 1986 are generally well-balanced and have evolved gracefully over time. In Piedmont, Barolo from this vintage is especially noteworthy, offering structure, depth and classic ageing potential, with flavours of dried cherry, leather, spice and earthy notes emerging with age. Other regions also produced reliable wines, though Piedmont remains the standout. Now at full maturity, these wines display harmony and complexity, making them ideal for drinking today while still holding for a few more years.
Portugal: 1986 was a good year in Portugal, producing forward, fruit-driven Single Quinta Vintage Ports that have now reached full maturity and are drinking well. With no general declaration, wines from this year are relatively scarce, adding to their appeal as distinctive and increasingly rare bottles.
Read full Portugal vintage report
The Ports from 1986 are typically approachable and well-balanced, showing developed flavours of dried fruit, caramel and spice. Now at their peak, these wines offer immediate enjoyment without the need for further ageing. Tawny and Single Harvest (Colheita) Ports are particularly strong choices from this vintage, benefiting from extended cask ageing which enhances their smoothness, complexity and consistency. These styles offer a reliable and rewarding alternative to Vintage Port, making them ideal for a 40th birthday or anniversary gift.
38 products found.
Toro Albalá, 1986
DON PX
Magnum Bottle (150cl)
Don PX 1986 (Magnum) from Bodegas Toro Albalá is a monumental example of aged Pedro Ximénez, drawn from a single harvest and matured for decades in American oak casks. Made in Montilla-Moriles, Spain’s historic heartland for PX, this wine represents the estate’s commitment to time-honoured methods—sun-drying the grapes before long, oxidative ageing. Bottled in magnum format, it offers exceptional longevity, concentration, and a slow evolution that enhances both aromatic depth and palate complexity.
The appearance is striking: near-black with a dense, molasses-like texture that clings to the glass. …
more >>>
Price: £169.00
Stock: 6 in Stock
Messias
40 Year Old White Port in Gift Tube
50cl Bottle
The Messias 40 Year Old White Port showcases a remarkable light amber colour with hints of mahogany. The nose unfolds with layers of complexity, offering rich aromas of caramelized nuts, and apricot, interwoven with delicate notes of vanilla bean and aged honey. On the palate, it’s an indulgent experience, with flavours of rich butterscotch, and toasted almonds. The wine’s age is evident in its silky texture and extraordinary depth, while a vibrant acidity provides balance and freshness. The finish is long and opulent, with a lingering sweetness and a touch of spice that leaves a memorable, luxurious impression. …
more >>>
Price: £89.95
Stock: 1 in Stock
Messias
40 Year Old Tawny Port in Gift Tube
93 Points Mark Squires - Wine Advocate
A benchmark 40-year-old tawny from Caves Messias, this port is a showcase of expert ageing and blending. It strikes an exceptional balance between maturity and vibrancy, offering rich oxidative character without becoming overly woody or tired. Ideal for sipping slowly and savouring its nuanced depth, this is a connoisseur’s tawny with remarkable poise.
Tasting Notes:
Messias 40 Year Old Tawny Port is a deeply complex and elegant fortified wine, showing a brilliant amber-brown hue with golden reflections. The nose is intensely aromatic, offering layers of dried figs, toasted almonds, orange peel, vanilla, and aged oak. …
more >>>
Price: £89.95
Stock: 15 in Stock
Quinta Das Carvalhas
40 Year Old Tawny Port in Gift Tube
The Quinta das Carvalhas 40 Year Old Tawny Port is not just a wine; it’s an experience. Whether you're gifting it to someone special or indulging in it yourself, this wine promises to deliver a memorable and luxurious tasting experience that reflects the very best of what the Douro Valley has to offer.
Tasting notes
Deep amber colour with a golden rim. A a luxurious blend of complex aromas, including hints of honey, nutmeg, vanilla, and subtle oak, all of which are indicative of its lengthy aging process. A 40 Year Old Tawny that boasts intense flavours of dried fruits like figs and apricots, alongside notes of toasted almonds, caramel, and rich spices. …
more >>>
Price: £129.00
Stock: 38 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1986
Oddero
The 1986 Barbaresco DOCG Oddero is a refined and historic wine that has matured beautifully over the years, revealing the elegance and complexity that define the great Nebbiolo wines of Piedmont. Carefully preserved over time, this exceptional vintage now offers a sophisticated and authentic tasting experience for collectors and lovers of mature Italian wines.
Barbaresco DOCG is one of Italy’s most prestigious red wines, produced exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape in the Piedmont region. Compared to Barolo, Barbaresco is often recognised for its elegance, finesse, and silky texture while still possessing remarkable ageing potential. …
more >>>
Price: £129.00
Stock: 3 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1986
Giordano
The Barbaresco DOCG 1986 Giordano is a classic historic red wine from the Langhe region in Piedmont, Italy. Produced from 100% Nebbiolo grapes, it reflects the traditional Barbaresco style of the mid-1980s: structured, aromatic, and built for long bottle aging with gradual evolution toward elegance and tertiary complexity.
Tasting notes:
The 1986 vintage is now fully mature, showing pronounced tertiary development. The nose opens with aromas of dried rose petals, sour cherry, dried plum, leather, tobacco leaf, and forest floor. With aeration, additional layers of truffle, dried herbs, spice, cedarwood, and balsamic notes emerge. …
more >>>
Price: £139.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1986
Cantine Prandi
The 1986 Barolo Cantine Prandi has come from the producer's historic cellars where it has laid undisturbed since bottling. It has matured to perfection and is perfect to drink now.
Barolo is a red wine produced in the Piedmont region of Italy. Made from the Nebbiolo grape, it is known for its garnet colour, intense flavours of cherry, plum, and spice, as well as its high tannin content. Barolo wines are often aged for several years, resulting in complex flavors and aromas. They are considered some of Italy's finest and most age-worthy wines.
Serving & Food Pairing:
Barolos are best served at 18ºC. …
more >>>
Price: £129.00
Stock: 23 in Stock
Bouchard Père & Fils, 1986
Cotes du Beaune
The 1986 Bouchard Père & Fils Côte de Beaune is a wonderful example of mature red Burgundy from one of the region's most historic and respected producers. After almost four decades of bottle ageing, this wine offers a rare opportunity to experience the complexity and elegance that develops in well-cellared Pinot Noir. Bottles from this period are becoming increasingly scarce and sought after by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Founded in 1731, Bouchard Père & Fils is one of Burgundy's oldest wine houses, with an exceptional reputation for producing wines that reflect the character of their terroir. …
more >>>
Price: £119.00
Stock: 10 in Stock
Brunello di Montalcino, 1986
Fontevino
The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 1986 Fontevino is a rare historic red wine from the area of Montalcino. Produced from 100% Sangiovese (Brunello), it reflects the traditional style of 1980s Brunello: structured, long-lived, and built for slow bottle evolution toward complex tertiary expression.
Tasting notes:
The 1986 vintage is now fully mature and deeply tertiary. The nose opens with aromas of dried cherry, sour plum, leather, tobacco leaf, dried rose petals, and forest floor. With aeration, further complexity develops with earth, truffle, dried herbs, cedarwood, and balsamic notes.
On the palate it is evolved, elegant, and harmonious, with tannins now fully softened and integrated. …
more >>>
Price: £149.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Cantegril, 1986
Sauternes
1986 Château Cantegril Barsac
Appearance:
Deep amber-gold with burnished copper reflections, showing impressive maturity and concentration developed over decades in bottle.
Nose:
Complex and beautifully evolved, opening with aromas of marmalade, dried apricot and honeycomb layered over notes of saffron, toasted almond and caramelised orange peel. Further nuances of crème brûlée, exotic spice and baked orchard fruits emerge with air.
Palate:
Rich, silky and fully mature, displaying flavours of candied citrus, apricot preserve and baked peach supported by notes of acacia honey, toffee and gentle nuttiness. …
more >>>
Price: £89.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Cure Bon La Madaleine, 1986
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
The 1986 Château Curé Bon La Madeleine is a rare mature Saint-Émilion Grand Cru that captures the elegance and complexity of traditionally styled Right Bank Bordeaux at full maturity. Sourced from limestone and clay soils in Saint-Émilion, the wine has spent nearly four decades developing the layered, tertiary character that defines well-cellared Bordeaux from this era.
TASTING NOTE:
Deep garnet with a brick-amber rim, showing full maturity while retaining clarity at the core. The nose is fully evolved, opening with dried black cherry, plum and cassis, followed by cedar, tobacco leaf and leather. …
more >>>
Price: £79.95
Stock: 11 in Stock
Chateau d'Yquem, 1986
Sauternes 1er Grand Cru Classe
Château d'Yquem is considered by many to be Bordeaux’s single greatest wine and it is the only wine in France to hold the Premier Cru Superieur (Great First Growth) designation. The uncompromising pursuit of quality is what sets this sweet white wine apart – a standard meticulously maintained throughout the estate’s history.
Chateau d`Yquem is often described as the greatest sweet wine in the world. After centuries of family ownership, Yquem was finally sold in acrimonious circumstances to Louis Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy in 1999. However, its former owner and director Alexandre de Lur-Saluce remains in charge. …
more >>>
Price: £385.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Meyney, 1986
St Estephe, Cru Grand Bourgeois Exceptional
Half Bottle (37.5cl)
Château Meyney, located in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of Bordeaux, has a history dating back to the 17th century. The 1986 vintage, now approaching four decades of maturity, offers a unique opportunity to experience the evolution of this esteemed estate's offerings.
Tasting Profile
Over the years, the 1986 Château Meyney has developed a nuanced profile. Tasting notes from 2023 describe the wine as having very mature fruit, soft tannins, a lighter body, and a smooth finish. While the fruit has faded, it remains a pleasant old Bordeaux. Another review highlights aromas reminiscent of an old humidor, leather, prunes, and cedar, suggesting the wine is probably just past its peak. …
more >>>
Price: £62.95
Stock: 5 in Stock
Chateau Musar, 1986
Bekaar Valley, Gaston Hochar
This rare 1986 Musar is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan from this well-known and highly regarded Lebanese winery.
Chateau Musar is often referred to as the Lafite of the Lebanon. Wine maker Gaston Hochar defied the odds producing a string of great wines during the Lebanon War. Musar has assumed legendary status. Complex, long-lived and endlessly varied, in some vintages it seems more like a Burgundy, in others a Bordeaux, in still others a Hermitage. But it is always brilliantly, uniquely, Lebanese. Ages magnificently but good vintages are usually best at 10-20 years old. …
more >>>
Price: £245.00
Stock: 2 in Stock
Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 1986
Pauillac 2me Cru Classe
96 Points - Wine Journal
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 1986
Pauillac 2ème Cru Classé
A refined and beautifully mature Pauillac, the 1986 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a superb example of this highly regarded Second Growth at full maturity. Known for its elegance and finesse, Pichon Lalande offers a more graceful and aromatic expression of Pauillac, and the 1986 vintage has now evolved into a wine of remarkable complexity and balance.
Tasting Notes
Deep garnet in colour with a softened rim, the nose is expressive and layered, offering aromas of blackcurrant, cedar and cigar box alongside notes of dried flowers, leather and spice. …
more >>>
Price: £269.00
Stock: 3 in Stock
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. …
more >>>
Price: £139.00
Stock: 5 in Stock
Graham's
40 Year Old Tawny Port- New Edition
Decanter (DWWA 2025) Gold
Graham's 40 Year Old Tawny. A truly remarkable wine cared for across generations. A great testament to the arts of blending, cooperage, and ageing. Aged for an average of 40 years in seasoned oak casks, our 40 Year Old Tawny is a testament to time and patience. Composed of wines put aside generations ago, this is an incredible wine with an amazingly long finish, indicating both its age and immense quality.
Graham's 40 Years Old Tawny is made from wines of the very highest quality which, following careful selection, are matured in seasoned oak casks of until their peak of maturity is reached. …
more >>>
Price: £179.00
Stock: 9 in Stock
Porta dos Cavaleiros, 1986
Porta dos Cavaleiros, Dao
Porta dos Cavaleiros, 1986
Dão, Portugal
A mature Dão with that classic, old-school Portuguese elegance: more savoury than fruity now, with gentle tertiary character leading.
Expect aromas of dried cherry and plum skin, leather and cedar, plus notes of tobacco leaf, dried herbs and a touch of earthy mushroom.
On the palate it should be medium-bodied and nuanced rather than powerful, with softened tannins, fresh acidity (a Dão hallmark),
and flavours moving towards dried red fruits, tea leaf, spice, and a lightly mineral finish. With a 1986 like this, bottle variation is very possible,
so a careful opening and a little air can make all the difference. …
more >>>
Price: £69.00
Stock: 26 in Stock
Quinta do Poco do Lobo, 1986
Quinta Poço do Lobo - Cabernet, Bairrada
Quinta Poço do Lobo Cabernet Sauvignon
Overview:
A rare library release from Quinta Poço do Lobo, this mature Cabernet Sauvignon showcases the distinctive character of Bairrada and the remarkable ageing potential of Portugal's Atlantic-influenced vineyards. Carefully cellared for decades before release, it offers a fascinating expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, combining varietal character with the savoury complexity and refinement that only extended maturation can provide.
Appearance:
Deep garnet in colour with brick-red highlights at the rim, reflecting its maturity and graceful evolution. …
more >>>
Price: £69.95
Stock: 31 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. …
more >>>
Price: £169.00
Stock: 9 in Stock
Cabernet, 1986
F.lli Pighin
1986 Cabernet – F.lli Pighin (Friuli, Italy)
A fully mature, old-school Friulian Cabernet (likely Sauvignon with a touch of Franc) showing savoury poise over power. Deep garnet shading to tawny at the rim; aromas of dried blackcurrant and cherry, cedar and pencil shavings, bay leaf, tobacco and leather, with hints of green peppercorn, cacao and dried herbs. Mid-weight and silken on the palate: lively, cool-climate acidity carries cassis, sour-cherry and chinotto notes; tannins are fine and resolved. The finish is long and tapering with cedar spice, graphite and a touch of cocoa.
Producer note: Fratelli Pighin farms gravelly, …
more >>>
Price: £69.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Chateau Climens, 1986
Barsac, 1st Growth
Sweet White Wine
1986 Château Climens is a rare and exquisitely preserved Barsac, showcasing the estate’s hallmark purity, finesse and near-magical ability to age. Now approaching four decades in bottle, it has developed a glorious golden-amber hue that shimmers with depth and concentration—classic of long-matured Sémillon from this iconic Premier Cru.
The nose is extraordinarily complex and beautifully evolved. Layers of candied citrus peel, apricot tart and quince jelly merge with notes of honeycomb, saffron, toasted almond and crème brûlée. Subtle hints of chamomile, polished wood and dried pineapple bring an exotic lift, reflecting the wine’s slow, graceful maturation. …
more >>>
Price: £139.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Chateau Haut-Bages Liberal, 1986
Pauillac 5th Growth Classification
Château Haut-Bages Libéral, 1986
Pauillac – Fifth Growth (5ème Grand Cru Classé), Bordeaux
The 1986 vintage in Bordeaux is remembered for producing structured, long-lived wines, particularly on the Left Bank. A warm summer followed by a fine, dry harvest allowed Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen slowly and fully, resulting in wines with firm tannins, excellent concentration and impressive ageing potential. Nearly four decades on, the best examples are now entering a rewarding stage of maturity.
Château Haut-Bages Libéral 1986 shows the classic character of Pauillac. The bouquet offers mature aromas of blackcurrant, cedarwood and tobacco, with secondary notes of leather, forest floor and subtle spice developed through long bottle ageing. …
more >>>
Price: £99.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Chateau Suduiraut, 1986
Premier Cru Classé, Sauternes Sweet white wine
1986 Château Suduiraut hails from one of Sauternes' most renowned Premier Cru Classé estates, nestled next to Château d’Yquem in the commune of Preignac. Known for its meticulous vineyard management and traditional vinification techniques, Suduiraut crafts wines dominated by Sémillon, blended with a touch of Sauvignon Blanc. The château’s wines typically display opulence, structure, and longevity—often showing vivid botrytis character thanks to the ideal misty autumn conditions near the Garonne and Ciron rivers. By the mid-1980s, Suduiraut was producing wines with a more classic, less opulent style than later decades, reflecting both the vintage and the winemaking direction at the time. …
more >>>
Price: £99.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Fonseca Port, 1986
Guimaraens Vintage Port
In undeclared vintages Fonseca bottle Guimaraens, provided the quality of the fruit is sufficient. This has a good depth of colour, with a moderate red-tawny hue. The nose has exotic notes of musky scent and spiced woods, together with some chocolate edged fruit. The palate has an impressive texture and sweetness immediately apparent on entry. Good fruit and a nice backbone of soft tannins. Elegant, with a touch of complexity, with balance, very much in the house style.
Learn more about Fonseca
more >>>
Price: £149.00
Stock: Out of Stock