drink soon
Another small vintage but the finest wines were deeply coloured, rich and fruity
Weather Conditions
After a few years of difficult conditions, leading to poor vintages, 1985 saw the return of good weather – at least in wine-growing terms. Despite a cold and sometimes frosty winter and spring, which resulted in a late flowering, temperatures picked up somewhat in June and July. August and September, however, on the whole were blessed with extremely sunny conditions and little – almost no – rain fell. The exception was a hailstorm in mid-August that destroyed a substantial proportion of the crop in Aloxe-Corton. The extremely dry conditions during the ripening period ensured that the crop was not affected by rot.
Best Appellations
A strange year. Many of the red wines were delicious at five years and fading by 10, while most of the rest of the successful examples were not yet ready. The former are now past it. The latter still offer much. Consistent from Marsannay to Santenay, except for some over-oaked wines from Henri Jayer, Joseph Roty and others.
Best Producers
Marquis d’Angerville, Robert Ampeau, Denis Bachelet, Gaston Barthod-Noellat, Drouhin, Dujac, Faiveley, Jean Gros, Jadot, Michel Lafarge, Dr Georges Mugneret, J.F. Mugnier, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Georges Roumier, Armand Rousseau, Roland Trapet.
