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Bordeaux

Bordeaux 1985/ An extraordinary vintage. Particularly elegant in their early years, these wines are now mellow and suave with considerable finesse. The Médoc wines, supple with mellow tannins, are deliciously soft and fruity. The Pomerols and Saint Emilions possess a marvellous combination of concentration and finesse. The dry white wines are rich and complex. The sweet wines are ample, honeyed and fruity.

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Burgundy

1985 Burgundy by Clive Coates MW / The 1985 vintage represents a turning point in the wine history of Burgundy. Before this date, on the whole, winegrowers made wine, merchants bought it, assembled several plots, if necessary, and sold it. Subsequently, more and more estates began to mature, bottle and market the wines themselves. In the meantime, many merchants had taken the opportunity to expand their own estates, so that, particularly at the upper end, they were more or less self-sufficient. In the 1970s, and earlier, there were barely around twenty producers – we think of Rousseau, Dujac, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Gouges, Lafarge and Leflaive – who did not sell in bulk. Many of today's super-stars bottled only a token quantity and were unknown to even the most perceptive merchant or journalist.

The emergence of these new areas is transforming Burgundy. In a very short time, almost everyone who had a grand cru and many who had a good premier cru were bottling as much as they could themselves. There was, of course, the question of cash flow. If you sold to a merchant, you were paid in full at the time of the next vintage. If you sold in bottles, you didn't get the money until about two and a half years later, after bottling 18 months after harvest and possible shipping in winter thereafter. We would therefore not be able, unless we were otherwise financed, to move from bulk sales to bottled sales overnight. I remember the late Philippe Engel explaining to me that the transformation for him took ten years.

The process was encouraged by local residents. Burgundy is a generous wine region. Most growers are on very good terms with their neighbors and are only too happy to help if there is a problem. Naturally, the best ones have a queue of potential buyers waiting to step in if one of the regular customers falls through. What could be more natural for the important owner of the much sought-after estate than to recommend a hitherto unknown young neighbor who was looking for business. If he or she was a cousin or in-law, so much the better.

 

Moreover, the quality was improving, and by leaps and bounds. The best growers went to Viti in Beaune then to the University of Dijon. Many left for a stopover in California or Australia, or elsewhere in France. Tasting each other’s wines with your neighbors has become commonplace. Firstly, selling your wine under your own label required you not to cut corners, which you might have been tempted to do if you were simply selling in bulk. Tasting your wine alongside those of your friends and reading a review of it in a wine magazine will soon tell you whether you are producing superior quality or not. Second, viticulture and viticulture techniques had become increasingly sophisticated. There has been a return to plowing and the elimination of herbicides and pesticides. The size of the harvest was taken into greater account. And finally the introduction of the sorting table: the greatest contribution to increasing quality of all. Today, everyone has a sorting table. The first time I saw it was Domaine de la Romanée-Conti when I was making a video in 1987. Finally, after a disappointing run of vintages in the 1970s and early 1980s, 1985 ushered in a series of high quality years that continues to this day. Burgundy has not had a bad vintage since 1984. Thirty years.

The consequence of all this is that it is increasingly difficult for everyone, not just the outside journalist, to keep up. Every year, new areas, worthy of exploration and waiting to be discovered. In 1985, I visited six estates in Gevry, four in Morey and Chambolle and perhaps eight in Vosne. Today I should visit 25 in Gevrey, and so on. A marathon for which I no longer have the energy. I am very lucky to have been there at the time and to have experienced what was an exciting time in Burgundy.

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Champagne

Severe winter temperatures and spring frosts did great damage, leaving many in the region unhopeful of a good year. The destruction was excessive especially in the northern Montagne de Reims, in the hillside vineyards west of Reims and in the Aube. The early summer weather did not raise the hopes, but finally fine September weather came to the rescue and yields ended up being better than feared (albeit tiny, 6,827 kg/ha) when picking commenced on September 30th. Champagnes from 1985 are typically beautifully balanced and intense with great length and character that is still improving today. Dom Pérignon, Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie and Blanc des Millénaires, Krug Vintage and Perrier-Jouët Belle Époque excelled, to name a few.

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California

Napa Vintage Report: Weather Conditions After experiencing one of the first starts thanks to early bud break, the season was relatively cool and ended up being one of the longest and best yet. Summer offered warm days, cool nights, and a cool August set the stage for a sunny September that brought the fruit to a uniform, gradual ripeness rarely encountered in California. The Cabernets are as atypical as the vintage. Fruit maturity was achieved at relatively moderate sugar levels and the acidity was perfect for balance. With Sonoma benefiting from the same conditions as Napa, the vintage yielded an overwhelming number of successful Cabernets. Generally ripe and supple, the wines are well proportioned and integrated with fine tannins. At the time, it was the finest vintage since '74. With aging, the best display refined fruitiness and elegance, but a number ripen slowly. Silver Oaks' Alexander Valley Cabernet led the strong Sonoma contingent and was drinking well at the turn of the century.

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Italia

Italy Vintage Report by Tb: 1985 more than made up for the weak year that preceded it. An extremely cold winter ensured the vines went into complete hibernation, until a warm, dry spring woke them up, well-rested, giving them the energy they would need for the varied summer weather. The dry autumn paved the way for the harvest of one of the best vintages of the decade, both in Piedmont and Tuscany. Although little cultivated, 1985 was an exceptional campaign and is best remembered for the genesis of modern wine production, particularly in Tuscany. Led by the Super Tuscans, it saw the start of rapid development in the production of modern fine wines. It also produced a wine that has gone down in history as one of the best in the world - Sassicaia 1985.

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Vintage Report

Champagne: Champagne year of the decade. We can expect a long lifespan for these champagnes. The year 1985 turned out to be an exceptional harvest year. The frosts that plagued the region tested the people of Champagne in ways that were last felt 150 years ago. In January, the temperature in the region was -25 degrees Celsius. As the vines were still hibernating, they were saved from mass destruction. When the vines finally woke up, the temperature had risen to -15 degrees. It was not enough, however, and around 10 percent of the vineyards froze.

Temperatures in the region were still several degrees below zero in April. Fortunately, the sensitive flowering phase was saved from frost and the weather changed significantly. Summer temperatures were hot in August and September. The long Indian summer continued and the harvest took place at the end of September. The result was a small harvest of concentrated grapes. Stylistically, the wines were always tight and vigorous. However, the high concentration of their taste and the aromatic layers reveal the potential of the wines. The wines are still young, and some are just opening, so they will improve by being stored for 7 to 10 years.

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Vintage Report

1985 Burgundy by Clive Coates MW / The 1985 vintage represents a turning point in the wine history of Burgundy. Before this date, on the whole, winegrowers made wine, merchants bought it, assembled several plots, if necessary, and sold it. Subsequently, more and more estates began to mature, bottle and market the wines themselves. In the meantime, many merchants had taken the opportunity to expand their own estates, so that, particularly at the upper end, they were more or less self-sufficient. In the 1970s, and earlier, there were barely around twenty producers – we think of Rousseau, Dujac, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Gouges, Lafarge and Leflaive – who did not sell in bulk. Many of today's super-stars bottled only a token quantity and were unknown to even the most perceptive merchant or journalist.

The emergence of these new areas is transforming Burgundy. In a very short time, almost everyone who had a grand cru and many who had a good premier cru were bottling as much as they could themselves. There was, of course, the question of cash flow. If you sold to a merchant, you were paid in full at the time of the next vintage. If you sold in bottles, you didn't get the money until about two and a half years later, after bottling 18 months after harvest and possible shipping in winter thereafter. We would therefore not be able, unless we were otherwise financed, to move from bulk sales to bottled sales overnight. I remember the late Philippe Engel explaining to me that the transformation for him took ten years.

The process was encouraged by local residents. Burgundy is a generous wine region. Most growers are on very good terms with their neighbors and are only too happy to help if there is a problem. Naturally, the best ones have a queue of potential buyers waiting to step in if one of the regular customers falls through. What could be more natural for the important owner of the much sought-after estate than to recommend a hitherto unknown young neighbor who was looking for business. If he or she was a cousin or in-law, so much the better.

 

Moreover, the quality was improving, and by leaps and bounds. The best growers went to Viti in Beaune then to the University of Dijon. Many left for a stopover in California or Australia, or elsewhere in France. Tasting each other’s wines with your neighbors has become commonplace. Firstly, selling your wine under your own label required you not to cut corners, which you might have been tempted to do if you were simply selling in bulk. Tasting your wine alongside those of your friends and reading a review of it in a wine magazine will soon tell you whether you are producing superior quality or not. Second, viticulture and viticulture techniques had become increasingly sophisticated. There has been a return to plowing and the elimination of herbicides and pesticides. The size of the harvest was taken into greater account. And finally the introduction of the sorting table: the greatest contribution to increasing quality of all. Today, everyone has a sorting table. The first time I saw it was Domaine de la Romanée-Conti when I was making a video in 1987. Finally, after a disappointing run of vintages in the 1970s and early 1980s, 1985 ushered in a series of high quality years that continues to this day. Burgundy has not had a bad vintage since 1984. Thirty years.

The consequence of all this is that it is increasingly difficult for everyone, not just the outside journalist, to keep up. Every year, new areas, worthy of exploration and waiting to be discovered. In 1985, I visited six estates in Gevry, four in Morey and Chambolle and perhaps eight in Vosne. Today I should visit 25 in Gevrey, and so on. A marathon for which I no longer have the energy. I am very lucky to have been there at the time and to have experienced what was an exciting time in Burgundy. Now, with some relief, I am more or less retired.

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Taylor's Port Vintage Report: The 1985 vintage was preceded by an exceptionally cold and wet winter, with nighttime temperatures in Pinhão well below freezing between January 7 and 15. Bud burst occurred in early April and flowered towards the end of May. The set of berries was excellent and the young clusters perfectly formed. The summer was hot in all regions, with no precipitation in July and August.

Harvest started early at Vargellas and other Taylor vineyards in the upper Douro Valley, with grapes generally reaching maturity by September 15. The picking took place under clear skies, with mild, warm days and cool nights. The grapes were healthy and ripened evenly, resulting in a well-balanced must with high sugar levels. The cool night temperatures helped produce long and regular fermentations, allowing the musts to be well worked and producing rich, aromatic, full-bodied wines with magnificent depth of color and firm tannin structure. By the end of the harvest it was evident that the year had produced wines of exceptional quality in all regions of the Douro and there was justified optimism among shippers about the prospects of a declaration.

Wines with a very fine aroma. Exceptional quality. A classic vintage, with intense aromas and a firm structure of fruit and tannins. Almost all producers declared their production. Excellent time. Cold start to winter, but warm February and March. A little rain in spring and normal temperatures until summer. A very hot June, followed by a normal summer. Harvest in perfect conditions.

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The best wines of the 1985 vintage

Name Tb Producer Location
1 Sassicaia 100 Tenuta San Guido Tuscany, Italy
2 Richebourg 99 Henri Jayer Burgundy, France
3 Dom Pérignon P3 99 Moët & Chandon Champagne, France
4 Romanée Conti 99 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
5 Côte-Rôtie La Mouline 99 E.Guigal Rhône, France
6 Echezeaux 99 Henri Jayer Burgundy, France
7 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Réservé 99 Château Rayas Rhône, France
8 Clos de la Roche 99 Domaine Ponsot Burgundy, France
9 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 99 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
10 Côte-Rôtie La Turque 99 E.Guigal Rhône, France
11 Cristal Rosé Vinothèque 99 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
12 Cristal Vinothèque 99 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
13 Clos du Mesnil Vinothèque 99 Krug Champagne, France
14 Comtes de Champagne 98 Taittinger Champagne, France
15 La Turque 98 E.Guigal Rhône, France
16 Chambertin 98 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
17 Côte-Rôtie La Landonne 98 E.Guigal Rhône, France
18 Barolo Monfortino Riserva 98 Giacomo Conterno Piedmont, Italy
19 Château Haut-Brion Blanc 98 Château Haut-Brion Bordeaux, France
20 Chambertin Clos de Bèze 98 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
21 Clos St-Denis Grand Cru 98 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
22 Richebourg 98 Méo-Camuzet Burgundy, France
23 Montrachet 98 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
24 Vieilles Vignes Françaises 98 Bollinger Champagne, France
25 Clos-de-la-Roche 98 Domaine Dujac Burgundy, France
26 Hermitage Blanc 98 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Rhône, France
27 Champagne Charlie Vinothèque 98 Charles Heidsieck Champagne, France
28 Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Rosé 98 Moët & Chandon Champagne, France
29 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles 98 Louis Jadot Burgundy, France
30 Château Laville Haut-Brion 98 Château Laville Haut-Brion Pessac Leognan, France
31 "Y" 98 Château d'Yquem Bordeaux, France
32 Dom Pérignon Rosé P3 98 Moët & Chandon Champagne, France
33 Chambolle Musigny Amoureuses 98 Domaine Georges Roumier Burgundy, France
34 Meursault Perrières 98 Domaine des Comtes Lafon Burgundy, France
35 Bienvenue-Batard-Montrachet 98 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
36 Eisele Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 98 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley, United States
37 La Romanée 98 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Burgundy, France
38 Cheval Blanc 97 Château Cheval Blanc Bordeaux, France
39 Krug Vintage 97 Krug Champagne, France
40 Krug Clos du Mesnil 97 Krug Champagne, France
41 Richebourg 97 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
42 Lafleur 97 Château Lafleur Bordeaux, France
43 Vintage Port 97 Graham's Douro, Portugal
44 Vintage Collection 97 Palmer & Co Champagne, France
45 R.D. Bollinger 97 Bollinger Champagne, France
46 Montrachet 97 Domaine Ramonet Burgundy, France
47 Château L´Evangile 97 Château L´Evangile Pomerol, France
48 Dom Pérignon Rosé 97 Moët & Chandon Champagne, France
49 Chambertin 97 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
50 L'Eglise-Clinet 0 Château L'Eglise-Clinet Bordeaux, France
51 Grands Echézeaux 97 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
52 Chevalier-Montrachet 97 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
53 Vieux Chateau Certan 97 Vieux Château Certan Bordeaux, France
54 Comtes de Champagne Rosé 97 Taittinger Champagne, France
55 Cuvée William Deutz Rosé 97 Deutz Champagne, France
56 Château Lagrange 97 Château Lagrange Bordeaux, France
57 Pyrus 97 Lindemans South Australia, Australia
58 Vintage Port 97 Niepoort Douro, Portugal
59 Echezeaux 97 Domaine Mongeard-Mugneret Burgundy, France
60 Batard-Montrachet 97 Domaine Michel Niellon Burgundy, France
61 Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrieres 97 Domaine Guy Roulot Burgundy, France
62 Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru Clos Saint-Jacques 97 Maison Leroy Burgundy, France
63 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 97 Henri Jayer Burgundy, France
64 Bâtard-Montrachet 97 Domaine Leflaive Burgundy, France
65 Clos de la Roche 97 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
66 Vosne-Romanée Cros Parantoux 97 Méo-Camuzet Burgundy, France
67 Clos Saint-Denis Très Vieilles Vignes 97 Domaine Ponsot Burgundy, France
68 Ruchottes Chambertin 97 Maison Leroy Burgundy, France
69 Château Mouton-Rothschild 96 Château Mouton-Rothschild Bordeaux, France
70 Krug Collection 96 Krug Champagne, France
71 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Heitz Cellar Napa Valley, United States
72 Champagne Charlie 96 Charles Heidsieck Champagne, France
73 Blanc des Millénaires 96 Charles Heidsieck Champagne, France
74 Château Haut-Brion 96 Château Haut-Brion Bordeaux, France
75 Belle Epoque 96 Perrier-Jouët Champagne, France
76 Cristal Rosé 96 Louis Roederer Champagne, France
77 Romanee Saint Vivant 96 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Burgundy, France
78 Salon 96 Salon Champagne, France
79 Bonnes Mares Grand Cru 96 Domaine Georges Roumier Burgundy, France
80 Barbaresco Santo Stefano 96 Bruno Giacosa Barolo, Italy
81 Château Gruaud-Larose 96 Château Gruaud-Larose Bordeaux, France
82 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St. Jacques 96 Domaine Armand Rousseau Burgundy, France
83 L'Apparita 96 Castello di Ama Tuscany, Italy
84 Musigny 96 Joseph Drouhin Burgundy, France
85 Clos-de-la-Roche Vieilles-Vignes 96 Domaine Ponsot Burgundy, France
86 Charmes Chambertin 96 Domaine Leroy Burgundy, France
87 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Groth Vineyards & Winery Napa Valley, United States
88 Cuvée William Deutz 96 Deutz Champagne, France
89 Clos de Tart 96 Mommessin Burgundy, France
90 La Mission Haut Brion 96 Château La Mission Haut-Brion Bordeaux, France
91 Latricières Chambertin 96 Domaine Ponsot Burgundy, France
92 Le Mesnil Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 96 Champagne Le Mesnil Champagne, France
93 Clos des Ducs 96 Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Burgundy, France
94 Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 96 Domaine Joseph Faiveley Burgundy, France
95 Dominus 96 Dominus Estate Napa Valley, United States
96 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon 96 Ridge Vineyards Santa Cruz, United States
97 Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill Vinothèque 96 Pol Roger Champagne, France
98 Château Bourgneuf 96 Château Bourgneuf Bordeaux, France
99 Dom Ruinart Rosé 96 Ruinart Champagne, France
100 Marcobrunn Riesling Eiswein 96 Kloster Eberbach Rheingau, Germany
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