The vintage

1985

The decade's most generous year

Delivery in 7–10 working days, tracked · transit cover optional at checkout

The 1985 vintage, rated

The decade's most generous year

In 2026 a bottle from 1985 marks a 41st birthday or anniversary

The vintage

Legendary · 5/5

A genuinely excellent year almost everywhere. A dry, warm summer and a long fine autumn gave Bordeaux ripe, generous wines that have always been a pleasure to drink. Burgundy made one of its best red vintages in decades, Piedmont produced Barolo and Barbaresco of real class, and the Douro declared a Port vintage universally. Only Sauternes missed out, for want of botrytis.

What we would buy, and why

The best all-round year of the decade for a gift, because you can buy well at almost any budget and the wines are welcoming rather than austere. Red Burgundy 1985 is the connoisseur's choice, Barolo the collector's, claret the safe and delicious one. Anything from €150 upwards buys something real. The one thing to skip is 1985 Sauternes.

1985 in the world

Live Aid filled Wembley on 13 July and was watched almost everywhere else on earth, Back to the Future opened a fortnight earlier, and on 1 September a team led by Robert Ballard found the wreck of the Titanic.

Best bets for 1985

  • Barolo 1985 from Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Conterno or Vietti
  • A Gevrey-Chambertin or Vosne-Romanée 1985 from a good grower
  • Château Palmer or Léoville-Barton 1985 for classic, still-fresh Bordeaux
  • Graham's or Fonseca 1985 Vintage Port, declared by every house

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine

Real people, not a chatbot

Ask a person about this year

The people who answer are the same people who check and pack the bottles. Ask for photographs, a condition report or advice on a year and you get a straight answer from the ANNO team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.