The 1985 Talbot is softly fading, the full, fleshy ripe fruit which was so front and center a decade ago now blending into the more delicate redcurrant jelly notes that often characterize Talbot with age. Cedar, unsmoked cigar, and a touch of capsicum round out the nose, a hint of Brett present but not obscuring. This is an enjoyable drink now and I don’t find the stuffing of the really great vintages at Talbot that suggest this will live a very long life. But it’s been a fun ride and it’s not over yet. Neck fill, perfect cork.
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Earthy and mature aromas with peppers, pencil, rusty iron and old woodwork. Also some funky aromas with tobacco and barnyard, but by far not as prominent as in a bottle tasted a few months ago. Soft and mature on the palate, with good fruit and enough tannins to provide decent structure.
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Beautiful nose of black currant and charred wood, vanilla and mint. Medium bodied, with horse blanket, leather and black currant. Still drinking quite well. Drink now. 92
M says 97 or 98.
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Bottle history unknown, but good fill. Cork fully saturated, broke towards bottom but ultimately removed cleanly. Little-if-any fruit left. Thin, with no complexity. Drinkable but unnteresting.
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Smokey, cherry and green pepper on the nose. Likewise on the palate with good acidity and a lovely gentle tannic rub. After some time in the glass, sweet red berries come to the fore while on the whole, it remains really fresh and juicy. Medium+ length. Excellent considering its age!
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This time from a perfect magnum, it was noticeable how much more red fruit and less funk was evident. Still had the ash, tobacco and cedar from my previous note, but so much more fruit and persistence. Extremely good and would outclass many much more expensive wines. One of the very best Bordeaux buys, especially in this format. Drink to 2040 (mag) or 2030 (bottle). 96pts for this mag
Typical (and lovely) funky Cordier aromas with tobacco, barnyard, vanilla and leather. Soft and light weighted on the palate. The tannins are almost gone and the aromas faded off after a while. Still some fruit left, but the bottle was probably on the decline. The nose is best here.
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From a new pristine case. One of my absolute under the radar favourites. Has that amazing 80s Cordier funk that I love (but others hate). Old saddle leather, ash and cedar. More aromatic, a touch leaner and more red fruit and less meaty than 85 Gruaud (larger formats more red fruit and less funky by the way). Lots of sweet red fruit in the mouth - this will last another decade, lesser bottles need drinking. Changes wonderfully with air - now cinnamon and cloves with a rich mouthfeel. Just wonderful. Easy 95-96pts and with the aromatic fireworks and fruit a great match with wagyu steak. No decanting needed
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Decanted off the sediment and the nose is gorgeous immediately, with pungent leathery earthy cigar aromas that also feature gentle stewed red currant and strawberry fruits. With some time in the glass a distinct graphite note emerges. The nose is complex and evolving, completely enticing, and with good pungency. The palate is lovely, but doesn't show the complexity or detail of the nose. It's balanced and delicious, but just not as compelling. Lovely. No point in holding much further, in my book.
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Milan Wine Event (Niko Romito at the Bulgari , Milan): Our last bottle of the batch and the best we have had ironically (we had this 8 times so far since 2012 always 95 and a couple of 96s). Opened and left to rest, no decanting needed but needs a touch of time to get over the initial barnish (Farmyard smells as a friend said on the day) and bring out a Burgundian style. Well aged, forest floor, soft mushroom, leather, soft spice. The nose on this wine will make any lover of chaptalized pinot from east of La Hexagon come over to the dark side. The palate is soft, elegant but also alive , silky and enough said here. This is a must buy more wine . 96 easy
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Soft and melted tannins. Sweet on nose and palate. Nearly burgundian. Black cherry, red berries, leather and a hint of iron in the finish. Great matured wine.
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Bottle in perfect condition from a great vintage, opened and poured for 30 min. Amazing wine that has aged very well, complex flavors of underbrush, wet forest floor, plenty of fruit and velvety lush tannins. Evolved and softened over several hours.
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Such a great and pleasurable wine. Had about an hour decant and the enjoyed. Cherry, leather, a little truffle and a lot of smiles. Will certainly try to find a little more out there. Talbot is such a long living wine that is very dependable.
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Some signs of seepage, but still a high shoulder fill. Nice nose of aged leather, dried leaves, tart red fruit, sous bois and matchstick. Some cranberry, leather and iron on the palate. The nose is definitely the star here. I was nervous about giving this too much air for fear it might fall apart, but it actually showed best later in the evening (not decanted), and also held up well overnight, with the taste profile showing improvement with air. Agree with comments below that this should be drunk soon. Still enjoyable to me, but my wife found it too old.
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Coravin fun - Talbot (My place, Kent Street): More historic weeping and loose cork meant that the Durand rather than the Coravin was called into play. Aromas of toast, coffee, cream, earth and very slight cork taint over brambles, a little damp cellar and leather as well as Autumn forest floor that has a tiny smidge of truffle. It's a little volatile on the palate, wetly fleshy and juicy, savoury brambly fruit, some tannic burr on the front of the mouth, that damp cellar note is an underpin component here on the palate as well. Hmm. With time the cork taint took over proceedings...sigh
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From a lovely Magnum, decanted for a good 30 minutes. Would not suggest for a long decant as the wine can be a bit fragile but in no way letting go. We have been following this wine for the last 8 years and never rated it below 95 and this time was no exception. If like us one loves classic and well evolved Bordeaux this is a must go to wine. We snap it on sight and never fails us. Soft but energetic, super charming nose, leather and spice and earthy, soft fruit . On the palate it’s silky and barring a few edges here and there it was just delicious. Another 95 from us and continues to drink superb
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(At Noble Rot) A great bottle (PnP) that was singing from the first moment and only improved from there. Lean and elegant, incredible length, "iron fist in velvet glove". Haunting nose with notable Cab Franc elements -- leafy (but not grean), pencil shavings. Equally long in the mouth. Must find more of this. At a wonderful peak that it feels like it will hold for 5-10 years, but not sure it will improve.
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Bottle off the wine list over Irish duck dinner at Famous Treasure. Cork came out smoothly with Ah-So. Mildly soaked only. Drank from decanter over 1 hour+. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Thin legs. Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of decaying mushroomy earth, dark underground cellar, green bell peppers, aged leather, dried red cherries. Tobacco ash with more air. Developed. On the palate, dry, juicy high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), melt-in-your-mouth completely integrated tannins, medium body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of mushroomy earth, red cherries, bright red plums, old leather, sweet green bell pepeprs, tobacco leaf. Red cherries get more sourish with air. Long lingering finish. Very good quality. Tolerable green herbaceousness, and the palate is lithe yet regal. Goes down oh so smoothly. Time to drink up and enjoy. Are the mushroomy earthy underground cellar aroma things what they refer to as the "Cordier Brett" from that era? Well, I like it. Brett like this is fine, just not band-aid or old newspapers.
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Remarkable after 32 years. A crumbly cork needed to be pushed into the bottle followed by decanting over cheese cloth. A dimly lit room made gauging color difficult, but the bouquet was ever present -- perhaps an accentuated olfactory sense given the subdued visual cues.
Immediate notes of graphite and violets -- very floral. An absence of earthy or leathery tones; full and round in the mouth, making for a pleasant drinking experience. Clean, bright and vibrant despite its age -- with a luscious, sweet finish.
After 30 minutes in the decanter, the '85 Talbot began to fade but not so detrimental as to detract from its enjoyment.
My last bottle of a case purchased upon release. Where have the years... and the bottles gone?
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I have known this wine since it was new. It was fruity, weighty and complex when it was still below age five. Now at 32 years of age, the wine has grown in the direction of neutrality. It was a disappointment that the wine has lost complexity and flavor interests. Still in great shape but just not as interesting. It is a competent wine but surprisingly not carrying any old wine interest. I guess it has grown in the direction of neutrality that is no longer terribly attractive.
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This wine is at its apogee with a warm nose of crushed berries, rounded cassis and cigar box background. The usual barnyard funk still exists, but only as part of a totally expressive nose. The mouth feel is medium to full-bodied with no tannins left to mar the very long finish of smooth, refined and still passionate fruit. As good as it gets but, if you have some, please don't wait--it is as ready as can be. A glorious vintage now needing drinking.
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Bordeaux 1985 Grand Tour; 5/5/2017-10/20/2023: The cork showed minimal seepage upon opening. Nose was characterised by a strong barnyard funk which didn't fully blow off even after 2 hours of air. In the mouth, a fair bit of red stonefruit showed on the palate nonetheless, together with notes of mushrooms, wet bark, cigar ash and hints of coffee grounds. Silky mouthfeel.
This wine was also consistent in profile with an '81 that I had previously, just slightly fresher around the edges. Drink up within the next 3 years.
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From Art's cellar. Talbot has always been one of my favorites and it did not disappoint at Mannys in Minneapolis. Two-hour decant, and color just starting to go amber on the rim. Classic currant and cedar nose, and the tannins had softened with lovely red fruit and a smooth mouth feel. Reminiscent of the 78s I had in the late 1990s. Still in a good place for a few more years.
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Quick double decant and this was showing old leather, funky earthy mushroom, bright blackberry and black cherry fruit, cigar wrapper and cedary sweet oak notes. Fat enough to deliver a full mouthfeel, but taught enough to have the cedary smokey precision these wines deliver at their best.
Cordier era Talbot to the max. If you like these wines you know exactly what I mean. Drink now.
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Magical once again and a pure joy for classic, aged Bordeaux lovers. We have tasted it 7-8 times now and all notes are very similar and happy to see this wine carrying on.
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Medium/deep garnet, pale garnet/mahogany rim. Touch of barnyard and green pepper about this, red fruited, a bit pinched on the finish, but certainly decent enough. ***
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Cordier bottling, in perfect condition. Long, pristine cork, the filling-level was into the neck. Medium to dark garnet colour. Immediately after opening the bottle the wine was medium-bodied and lean red fruit/red cherry-driven, but it gained fruit and became close to full-bodied (and fuller-bodied than expected) after some aeration. After a few minutes in a small decanter the wine offered a layered nose of cherry, black currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, mushroom, spices, cinnamon and clove. By then, it showed cherry, black currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, spices, cinnamon and mild balsamic notes on the palate, with harmonious, medium-plus acidity, smooth, well-integrated, medium-plus tannin, a silky mouthfeel and superb length. I really liked this St. Julien for its smoothness and balance. It drank very well, in particular after some aeration, and did not show any signs of drying out anytime soon. Great Bordeaux.
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Sommersmaking i Sandefjord del I / Norwegian summer night - BYO (Sandefjord): Rødbrun med brunlig kant. Funky preg med fjøs, utedo, gjødsel - tar litt tid før det avdempes - etterhvert renere bordeauxtoner med lær og blyantspiss. Godt utviklet på smak, god frukt med fortsatt motstand, avslepne tanniner. Mulig brett på denne - men når de urene dufttonene fordufter blir det hele mer harmonisk. Vanskelig å gi poeng, og det svinger mellom midt på 80-tallet og tidlig 90-tall. Jeg liker det litt funky preget og slår til med 92.
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From a beautiful magnum, base of neck level and not decanted. We have tasted this wine 6-7 times in the last 4 years and we consistently rate it 95-96. From magnum it was even more special and along with 82&86 magical wines. Beautiful once again 95-96
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Vinklubben 1983's yearly X-mas dinner (Hos Britt): DnP. Garnet red, yellow rim, 4.5. Sexy complex mature left bank bouquet, spicy flowers, jasmin, pencil. Harmonious very balanced elegant palate. Intense without being tiring. It just goes on and on in the glass. Drink now - onwards. Wauww, this is what mature St.Julien is all about. Bo
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Double decanted for 2 hours. Needs a bit of care on the sediment. This wine for us is a clear 95-96 and just a shear joy at this stage. As we say.... A true master class of a wine and a must buy for all lovers of mature, pure & old school claret. Past TNs hold. 95-96 and must buy more
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°°° Bordeaux 1985 °°° (Emmen, Switzerland): Mature color. Nose of coffee, leather and barn. Quite thin, lacking power and one-dimensional. Now declining but overall ok to drink
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Best bottle #3 (@Private location): Glass: Riedel Syrah Universal Quite good BDX. Nice nose of green pepper, tobacco, smoke, oak without any signs of brett. Medium body, medium intense flavors of red fruits, earthy notes and oak in a medium+ finish.
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Medium garnet color, only slightly translucent, with some brick color and browning at the edges. Amazingly pronounced complex nose of cedar, tobacco, leather, a touch of anise, and smoky toasted French oak. On the palate, still plenty of fruit, but perfectly balanced with acidity; very little tannin left. The fruit still dominates the structure, as it should. The same aroma components are present in the flavor, with anise a bit more pronounced. The alcohol comes through in a slightly hot aftertaste, which just keeps going. Talbot has always been one of our favorites, delivers a great wine for the price. We cherish every bottle of our '80's, but not too many left. If you have this wine, by all means open and enjoy! Ric
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Paired with Leoville Poyferré and Gruaud Larose. More evolved in colour. On the nose spices, herbs, some vegetal and green notes. Not much fruit on the palate, a bit drying. Good acidity and finish. 88-90
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A Casual Wednesday in Toronto with the Toronto Cru (FWR, Toronto, ON): (served blind) pours on the lighter end of things in terms of colour with heavy bricking. The nose is complex, mature and expansive of celery seed, green peppercorn, dark cherry, unsmoked cigar tobacco, sweet cedar, herbs, barnyard (some brett clearly evident), dry leaves and leather. Palate is somewhat drying out at this stage. Fully enjoyable todday but don't wait too much longer. The tannins are mostly gone and the fruit and cedar leave a lovely old bordeaux sweet impression with moderate acid providing refreshment. I guessed left bank Bordeaux from 83, 85 or 88 due to the green streak, lightness and full maturity. In hindsight I almost should have known is was a Cordier bottling due to the rusticity.
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I bought this on release in 1988 and have cellared it since. An amazing wine for 30 years old, an excellent example of how beautifully Bordeaux can age and become more complex. Medium brick color, some definite browning at the edges. Quite viscous, with slow-moving "legs". Aromas as pronounced and complex as any wine I've tasted recently...classic cedar, cigar-box, leather, earthy "barnyard", with toasty French oak, so typical of Talbot and other Cordier reds. There is still plenty of fruit and flavor, supple, soft, complex, round, perfectly balanced...plums, blackberries, licorice, nicely blended with oak. The aftertaste is incredibly long. Wines like this are what make Bordeaux as precious as it is, that can last this long and still have such fruit, aromas, and complexity. As much as I love the big "fruit bombs" from U.S. and Australia, a perfectly aged and mature Bordeaux is unique. Ric
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An "intellectual" wine that brings back memories of old books in a library, wet grass, liquorice, leather and chocolate...to name a few. We find the complete lack of tannins to lessen the experience, albeit the silky smooth elegance is well-received.
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30 years of 1985 Bordeaux at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Double decanted and left to rest in the bottle for a good 2 hours. Very good level and cork. The beauty that is the Talbot 1985. A true master class of a wine and a must buy for all lovers of mature, pure & old school claret. Very consistent too as we have tried this 3 times in the last 3 years and performed between 95-96. Today it was easily along with the other gem the 85 Gruaud Larose the red wine of the night. Our previous TN from 3 months ago hold true . " Beautiful, evolved, open nose, complex, cedar, light leather, light fruit. Harmonious wine, balanced and a true Gem". Once again a 96+ and we repeat a must buy.
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This is what I want to drink all of the time. Venison, blood, bactine. The finish lingers forever. Masculine, well structured and drinking perfectly right now.
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Pre Christmas Dinner at The Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): Consistently a great wine and was easily wine of the night. Double decanted 2 hours ahead. Fine sediment. Beautiful, evolved, open nose, complex, cedar, light leather, light fruit. Harmonious wine, balanced and a true Gem. We have had it 3 times now and rated it 95 in 1/12,95 4/13 and today was a clear 96+. A must buy
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My last bottle from a six bottle auction lot I bought a few years ago, and the best experience I've had with '85 Talbot so far. A beautiful fragrance that keeps getting better with air; a core of red and dark fruit framed by earth, tobacco, leather, and that unmistakeable Cordier funk, and a palate presence that's remarkably elegant and graceful with medium weight, tannins fully resolved, and a bright acid spine keeping it very fresh and lively.
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Cordier funk on the nose; leather, earth, some barnyard, Asian spice. Beautiful on the palate, sinewy texture with red fruit and a really pleasant herbal note (in the best sense). Still showing mild structure, the acidity keeps this very fresh. Secondary flavors and aromas of leather, earth, barnyard are well integrated and stand alongside/ mix with the red fruit well. No noticeable oak. Medium+ finish. Excellent
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Had the pleasure of tasting one of these at a friends house. The wines he inherited has been in the same cellar since "birth". And this one was in a top condition. Not even a bit brown around the rim. Just a beautiful color and the taste the same. Seemed like it was very close to its top. drinking window.
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This wine - or this particular bottle - is too old. Brownish colour, no fruit left, smell for the rest passable with some mushroom and cellar, in the mouth a bit thin, some old acidic tones
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The cork leaked yielding a distinctive peppery, meat, prune oxidation. Totally off and it's a shame because when it's on, this is one of my favorites. A WineBid bottle.
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Medium cherry-garnet color, very light at the rim but still youthful enough. Attractive sweet and savory nose, wild berries, forest floor, wet leather and asian spices. Very elegant mouthfeel, a bit light, with more red fruits and an animal note, very clean, not at all tired, with a nice persistence. This bottle is starting to lose its structure, but it's still pleasingly vinous. Nice wine.
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The nose on this jumped out of the glass - much more exuberant than the last bottle. This bottle was 1980s Talbot all the way - full of barnyard, cedar, tobacco, and with the fruit. Getting just a touch tired on the palate. Long finish.
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BN fill. Mursteinsrød med oransje kant. Nese domineres av cedertre. Noen jordlige toner, litt sigarkasse og røykt kjøtt. Plommer. Flott kropp og elegante modne tanniner munner ut i en svakt tørrende avslutning. Bra balanse. Pent moden vestside bdx. Kan drikkes alene, men passet godt til dåhjort. De jordlige tonene i vinen passet bra til saltbakte rødbeter.
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Another excellent bottle, though the fill on this was a bit lower (high shoulder) than others in the case. More of that savoury, leathery Cordier funk around a core of red and dark fruited flavours that are still quite fresh and vibrant. Drinking superbly now with tannins fully resolved, bright acidity keeping it lively, and a very polished, graceful palate presence.
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1985 Bdx lunch (Caprice, Hong Kong): Not the best bottle from my case, and I think it showed. Decanted 30 mins, very smooth and light but lacked the aromatic fireworks I love this wine for. Still, clearly punched above its weight. Improved in the glass, and everyone loved it... But I know this could and should have been better. Three star Michelin restaurants just don't serve wine like my home....
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Saturday Skeels BBQ: St Julien 85s are my Saturday night party pieces, and this wine delivered - yet again. Everyone's favourite red wine of the night, and the cheapest wine served. A wonderful St Julien 1985, cedar and graphite explosive nose and typically thin, but very rich (think butter) and long finish. Decanted for 90 minutes, the wine held up well for a few hours without signs of fading. People that say this is fading or past it as just wrong - sorry!
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of tar and tobacco and has flavours of tar and cherry - Unexpected strong nose , well balanced compared with same vintage of Lynch Bages. Bottle breathing at 4:00pm n serve at 7:00pm.
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A wonderful St Julien 1985, cedar and graphite explosive nose and typically thin, but rich and long finish. Decanted for 30 minutes, the wine held up well for a few hours without signs of fading. Should last longer than other reviewers expect, no hurry to drink up well-stored bottles.
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Brick red, with slight browning at the edges. Still quite opaque. Very pronounced complex aroma of cassis, leather, cedar. Typical earthy aromas of Talbot. Smooth medium bodied flavors which build on the palate, starting with cassis, then adding cedar and licorice. Plenty of fruit but very balanced. Only slight tannins. Extremely long aftertaste, surprisingly hot. This wine has aged magnificently since I got it on release in 1988. It has always been one of my favorite Bordeaux, and always well priced relative to others of the same quality. This wine is at its peak but hasn't lost anything. It may hold for another 2-3 years, but why take the chance? Ric
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Tar, leather, and smoke on the nose that balances against a solid acidic spine on the palate. This is a wine that is entirely typical of the Cordier style-- a very good thing in my book.
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Old Bordeaux at La Fonda del Sol (NYC): Shows a fair bit of that classic Cordier character with leathery and earthy funk around tobacco and red fruited flavours, drinking really well now with the tannins nicely resolved, but not showing the same level of depth and complexity as the Magdelaine and PLL poured alongside.
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Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Needs decanting, like 30mins to open up but also to remove the fine sediment in the bottle. This is clearly one for the lovers of well aged claret, and following a discussion we had with another fellow CTer, for the ones who like the cedar nose on their wine. And for us this is the stuff we like. Well aged, good fruit and ful on mature. Once again a great showing from an 80s talbot. 95 drinks well now and have a few more years in the tank.
Drank this with Mike. From 750. Really interesting to drink this the night following a half bottle of the '86. While the '86 is technically a better made and better balanced wine, the '85 shows more Talbot personality. In fact, the "best" vintages of Talbot (e.g., 82, 86, 00) never really seem to show the chateau's personality like some of the good-but-not-great vintages.
The '85 shows a lot of cedar, cigar tobacco, and barnyard qualities with fruit to match. Certainly a wine where you'd be safe guessing Talbot if you were to taste it blind. Early on, the palate is a little austere - not full, but showing quality fruit and earth. With air, the nose gets a little more subdued but the palate puts on weight and intensity. A very good vintage of Talbot. Good buy at auction.
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Had it over an Italian dinner, decanted for half an hour. Lots of sediment, but that was to be expected.
Divine bouquet. Smell of plums, cherries, cedar. I detected a nice floral? smell, but the wife did not detect that.
Taste was fantastic - what one would expect from a properly aged St Julien. Words fail me.
A word of caution though, the finish was too short - 7 seconds max? Which means that this baby had passed its peak. A greatly enjoable point nonetheless. 93 points.
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Poured two glasses and then decided to decant as this was showing a lot of cedar and not much else. Gained weight and balance with a 30 min or so decant. VTS fill, almost completely soaked cork but came out in one piece. Bricking red. Barnyard and cedar, earth and still a fair bit of dark, and also some red fruit. High acidity and fine tannins. Nice but again there is a bit too much cedar for my taste - particularly in combination with the high acidity.
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More funky and bretty than my last bottle, almost overwhelmingly so at first but the barnyard/saddle sweat funk calms down with some air and settles into the background framing fresh red and dark fruits and mature tobacco and cedary flavours. Polished texturally, fully mature with tannins resolved and drinking very well though doesn't seem to be in any danger of decline.
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Various Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT): This was opened late in the night and my notes are schetchy, but this showed well, with mature, secondary flavors and that "Cordier" funk. Silky mouthfeel and drinking quite well.
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Drinking very nicely now with a core of rich dark fruited flavours framed by mature cedar, earthy and tobacco flavours and that leathery Cordier funk. Polished and quite elegant with the tannins rather fine grained, lovely stuff I'm glad to have a few bottles of though I'm not rushing to drink it up.
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Brickish color, wonderful bouquet of smoke, earth and wood. The wine is fully mature and drinking beautifully. So silky smooth, long finish. Great wine.
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Double decanted for about one hour. Lots of fine sediment so be careful with distrurbing this botttle. In neck level. Another great showing from an 85 St Julien (our tip fro great value well aged bdx) and especially of Talbot, which we consistently get great showings from 80s and 90s these days. Colour is brickign and shows the age. One the nose it is simply stunning, open full on secondary with nice cedar, and light fruit notes and earthy notes. On the palate it is well round and the tannin is well integrated and silky. Maybe at its peak and lack a bit of vibrancy but away from this is a superb bottle and great value and we will definitely look to buy a lot more. 94-96 and maybe at its peak now.
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My philosophy for Thanksgiving dinner wine selection is to disregard advice on the intricacy of turkey/wine pairing and opt for wine(s) that I want to drink. With that in mind, I picked the '85 Talbot, after seeing very favorable tasting notes on Cellar Tracker. I still recall over two decades ago, driving up to Zachy's to buy a bunch of wine, with a moderate year-end bonus in hand and eager to build a cellar collection. The case of ‘85 was the first installment of what became a full case vertical of Talbot from 1980 to 1990. Now, only a few bottles of each vintage remain. The '85 Talbot still showed plenty of vibrant reds in the glass with hints of browning only on the edges. The nose was packed with sweet, Burgundy-ish cherry accented by notes of leather and earthy pencil lead. The wine showed plenty of lush fullness and a long finish. Not quite up to the caliber of a 25 year old First Growth but plenty to be proud of. And, to think I paid about $30 a bottle for it. This is a Cellar Tracker community favorite for very good reason. If you can find a bottle with immaculate cellaring, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
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Another Friday Night with Greg & Sayo (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Perfect bottle by fill and storage. Bright, alive, deep ruby red semi transparent colour. Nose is OMFG....a level higher than any of the other bottles I have drank and that's saying something....earth, earth and more damp earth; pencil lead, high acetone....grrrr.. fresh-cut cedar trees....so fresh and alive.....mesmerising. Palate is wonderful acid/tannin poise and balance....slightly high acidity...low fruit....but then a huuuuge tsunami of finish and reverberance.....on and on. Fruit creeps back with time in the glass....red berries and tart black berries. It remains on the acidic side...but....this was near-perfect tonight. Gosh......perfect by any normal standard.
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Drank this with 01 Meerhust Rubicon, 02 Sena, 08 Grace Chairman's Reserve. This is easily WOTN with the Meerhust. If you want to see what the 1985 vintage tastes like, this will be a good example. Brilliant nose of earth and leather. Tannins are very refine and soft. however, the mid palate was absent and the finish was short. Had similar experience with 1985 Mouton in mag before but with better finish. Most of the 1985 needs to be drunk IMO.
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Brilliant bottle, double magnum. decanted five hours in advance. Classic Bordeaux with all the secundary and tertiary flavors you would expect. A slight hint of sour but this was not disturbing. All in all classical Bordeaux experience with large bottle, always a relief if they show well...
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Farge: Moden rødfarge, med mursteinrødt mot kanten. Duft: Deilig moden bordeauxnese med lær, stall, fjøs, sopp, sigarkasse og blyant. Smak: Moden frukt, sødmefull, ganske kraftig (men har nok blitt noe lettere siste 15 år...), runder av med litt tanniner og tørrhet som gjør den til en deilig matvin.
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1985 Bordeaux at 25 years (Morton's NYC): Soft, broad, resolved with rubber/band aid, some light coffee and black fruit. Hint of sweet core. Good long firm finish. Complex and balanced. Excellent and easy to like. A-
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Nose: Meat, blackcurrant, tobacco, damsons, plums, prunes, truffles, bitter chocolate, leather, wet hay Mouth: Blackcurrant, savoury, spice, chewy tannins, chocolate, petrol/rubber (perhaps) Very nice, the mouth is a little flat compared to the nose. Lovely balance. Probably nearing the end of it's life. Rating, as always, reflects price (£60)
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Drank at Black Salt - last minute decision to eat out. Grabbed the bottle and chose it over the 1996 Leroy Perrieres. AN loved it, as reflected in the score; in fact, we finished the bottle. Steve thought it a bit dry and would give it a 91-92.
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Deep red with brick at the very edges. I was terrified at first- the top of the cork disintegrated, and a bit of cork went down with the worm to the wine- easily removed with a decant. Bottom half of the cork was strong, and the wine safe. After an hour decant, the nose was strongly of dried mushrooms, wet stone, a palate of dusky fruit not quite out yet, herbs, tobacco. After cooking dinner (maybe another hour?) I noticed a bright orange citrus streak in the palate- tangerine zest? This was cool to observe as it came and went, and as the red fruits came out after maybe three hours, I found myself sitting with a very serious, very grown-up tasting claret. Strong body with an iron core, yet supple, with lively red notes that harmonize with a still grippy acidity. Nose of mulberry, dark red fruits, wet, black soil, violets, far-away hen-of-the-wood. Fabulous, and the price is right.
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Dinner at Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong: Decanted for two hours and then drank over the following 3 hours. It needed at least that to start showing its full colours. Is still is a gorgeous deep red colour showing little hint of its age. The nose is heavenly, like a walk through a cedar woods with mushrooms in the undergrowth. Also saddle leather on the nose. Great structure and harmony with still a lot of fruit on the palate and similar tones to the nose. Good length. Delicious.....and the nose is to die for.
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Drunk over a deliberately relaxed business lunch at Crown Wine Callar in Hong Kong. Absolutely superb, classic Talbot. Definitely had conversation-stopping characteristics. A shame I couldn't take more detailed notes because the wine deserved it.
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Pleasant fully mature wine. The nose had lost much of its original fruit and instead offered some interesting herbal and vegetal notes. Although there was a very integrated fragrance, it seemed to be unbalanced due to the lack of fruit. Slightly thin on the palate, again showing a lack of fruit. I suspect this wine was significantly better 5 years ago.
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October tasting - Fruit almost gone. Sandlewood, peat, tabacco, soft soft tanins, lush long finish. December tasting - Fuit came to the front after bottle was open 2 hours.
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Nose dominated by damp earth and dry wood. Hidden behind that was cherry fruit. On the palate, all of the above plus graphite and leather. A lovely, complex wine. Beautifully balanced tannins and acidity. Long finish, though not as long as the '89. Delicious.
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Drunk at a private wine event at a friend's house in Hong Kong where it was up against Opus One '86, Lafite and Latour '86 and Palmer '82, plus others. Impressed everyone and was absolutely gorgeous. Is probably now on the top of its form. Lovely nose, good fruit, beautifully balanced tannins and great length. Was the most memorable wine of the evening for me.
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Tasted at the Left Bank Bordeaux tasting at the home of FreeTheGrapes 1/19/2005.
I do not have any notes on how long this was decanted, but I remember it was not very long.
This wine was the darkest I color of the flight. Very well balanced, the somewhat reticent nose showed red berries and some spices. On the palate, this was a medium bodied wine, showing more berries and cherry, with a short to medium length finish from which the tannins have all but disappeared.
Very enjoyable at 86 points, but I expect it may have been better a few years ago. I would drink this wine sooner than later, though it may not fall off a cliff.
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At Square One (SF) at Jeff Glick's going away party. Rich, medium-dark red. Herbaceous, bell pepper aroma. Dill. On the palate, somewhat weird. Bizarre. Not good at all. What happened? 5-4-3-0: 62/100.
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4/8/2024 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
The 1985 Talbot is softly fading, the full, fleshy ripe fruit which was so front and center a decade ago now blending into the more delicate redcurrant jelly notes that often characterize Talbot with age. Cedar, unsmoked cigar, and a touch of capsicum round out the nose, a hint of Brett present but not obscuring. This is an enjoyable drink now and I don’t find the stuffing of the really great vintages at Talbot that suggest this will live a very long life. But it’s been a fun ride and it’s not over yet. Neck fill, perfect cork.
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2/17/2024 - AudunG wrote: 92 Points
Earthy and mature aromas with peppers, pencil, rusty iron and old woodwork. Also some funky aromas with tobacco and barnyard, but by far not as prominent as in a bottle tasted a few months ago.
Soft and mature on the palate, with good fruit and enough tannins to provide decent structure.
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2/4/2024 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of black currant and charred wood, vanilla and mint. Medium bodied, with horse blanket, leather and black currant. Still drinking quite well. Drink now. 92
M says 97 or 98.
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12/31/2023 - vinopunk wrote: 87 Points
Bottle history unknown, but good fill. Cork fully saturated, broke towards bottom but ultimately removed cleanly. Little-if-any fruit left. Thin, with no complexity. Drinkable but unnteresting.
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12/26/2023 - IV+ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smokey, cherry and green pepper on the nose. Likewise on the palate with good acidity and a lovely gentle tannic rub. After some time in the glass, sweet red berries come to the fore while on the whole, it remains really fresh and juicy. Medium+ length. Excellent considering its age!
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11/21/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 96 Points
This time from a perfect magnum, it was noticeable how much more red fruit and less funk was evident. Still had the ash, tobacco and cedar from my previous note, but so much more fruit and persistence. Extremely good and would outclass many much more expensive wines. One of the very best Bordeaux buys, especially in this format. Drink to 2040 (mag) or 2030 (bottle). 96pts for this mag
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11/18/2023 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Typical (and lovely) funky Cordier aromas with tobacco, barnyard, vanilla and leather. Soft and light weighted on the palate. The tannins are almost gone and the aromas faded off after a while. Still some fruit left, but the bottle was probably on the decline. The nose is best here.
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9/2/2023 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
From a new pristine case. One of my absolute under the radar favourites. Has that amazing 80s Cordier funk that I love (but others hate). Old saddle leather, ash and cedar. More aromatic, a touch leaner and more red fruit and less meaty than 85 Gruaud (larger formats more red fruit and less funky by the way). Lots of sweet red fruit in the mouth - this will last another decade, lesser bottles need drinking. Changes wonderfully with air - now cinnamon and cloves with a rich mouthfeel. Just wonderful. Easy 95-96pts and with the aromatic fireworks and fruit a great match with wagyu steak. No decanting needed
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2/6/2023 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
Decanted off the sediment and the nose is gorgeous immediately, with pungent leathery earthy cigar aromas that also feature gentle stewed red currant and strawberry fruits. With some time in the glass a distinct graphite note emerges. The nose is complex and evolving, completely enticing, and with good pungency. The palate is lovely, but doesn't show the complexity or detail of the nose. It's balanced and delicious, but just not as compelling. Lovely. No point in holding much further, in my book.
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10/12/2022 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Milan Wine Event (Niko Romito at the Bulgari , Milan): Our last bottle of the batch and the best we have had ironically (we had this 8 times so far since 2012 always 95 and a couple of 96s). Opened and left to rest, no decanting needed but needs a touch of time to get over the initial barnish (Farmyard smells as a friend said on the day) and bring out a Burgundian style. Well aged, forest floor, soft mushroom, leather, soft spice. The nose on this wine will make any lover of chaptalized pinot from east of La Hexagon come over to the dark side. The palate is soft, elegant but also alive , silky and enough said here. This is a must buy more wine . 96 easy
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8/28/2022 - Guido L. wrote: 92 Points
Soft and melted tannins. Sweet on nose and palate. Nearly burgundian. Black cherry, red berries, leather and a hint of iron in the finish. Great matured wine.
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10/24/2021 - Stags Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bottle in perfect condition from a great vintage, opened and poured for 30 min. Amazing wine that has aged very well, complex flavors of underbrush, wet forest floor, plenty of fruit and velvety lush tannins. Evolved and softened over several hours.
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6/26/2021 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Such a great and pleasurable wine. Had about an hour decant and the enjoyed. Cherry, leather, a little truffle and a lot of smiles. Will certainly try to find a little more out there. Talbot is such a long living wine that is very dependable.
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11/27/2020 - JCGuthrie wrote: 92 Points
Some signs of seepage, but still a high shoulder fill. Nice nose of aged leather, dried leaves, tart red fruit, sous bois and matchstick. Some cranberry, leather and iron on the palate. The nose is definitely the star here. I was nervous about giving this too much air for fear it might fall apart, but it actually showed best later in the evening (not decanted), and also held up well overnight, with the taste profile showing improvement with air. Agree with comments below that this should be drunk soon. Still enjoyable to me, but my wife found it too old.
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11/24/2020 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Talbot (My place, Kent Street): More historic weeping and loose cork meant that the Durand rather than the Coravin was called into play.
Aromas of toast, coffee, cream, earth and very slight cork taint over brambles, a little damp cellar and leather as well as Autumn forest floor that has a tiny smidge of truffle. It's a little volatile on the palate, wetly fleshy and juicy, savoury brambly fruit, some tannic burr on the front of the mouth, that damp cellar note is an underpin component here on the palate as well. Hmm.
With time the cork taint took over proceedings...sigh
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9/25/2020 - johnnygrapes Likes this wine:
great wine but definitely well into the back nine, based on this tasting, would not recommend waiting too much longer to drink
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5/9/2020 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
From a lovely Magnum, decanted for a good 30 minutes. Would not suggest for a long decant as the wine can be a bit fragile but in no way letting go.
We have been following this wine for the last 8 years and never rated it below 95 and this time was no exception. If like us one loves classic and well evolved Bordeaux this is a must go to wine. We snap it on sight and never fails us.
Soft but energetic, super charming nose, leather and spice and earthy, soft fruit . On the palate it’s silky and barring a few edges here and there it was just delicious. Another 95 from us and continues to drink superb
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4/10/2020 - rpenn77 Does not like this wine:
Waited too long to drink this one. No fruit left
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11/17/2019 - ccn wrote: 93 Points
(At Noble Rot) A great bottle (PnP) that was singing from the first moment and only improved from there. Lean and elegant, incredible length, "iron fist in velvet glove". Haunting nose with notable Cab Franc elements -- leafy (but not grean), pencil shavings. Equally long in the mouth. Must find more of this. At a wonderful peak that it feels like it will hold for 5-10 years, but not sure it will improve.
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8/29/2019 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Bottle off the wine list over Irish duck dinner at Famous Treasure. Cork came out smoothly with Ah-So. Mildly soaked only. Drank from decanter over 1 hour+.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, garnet colour. Thin legs.
Nose medium+ intensity, with aromas of decaying mushroomy earth, dark underground cellar, green bell peppers, aged leather, dried red cherries. Tobacco ash with more air. Developed.
On the palate, dry, juicy high acidity, medium- alcohol (12.5%), melt-in-your-mouth completely integrated tannins, medium body. Medium flavour intensity, with flavours of mushroomy earth, red cherries, bright red plums, old leather, sweet green bell pepeprs, tobacco leaf. Red cherries get more sourish with air. Long lingering finish.
Very good quality. Tolerable green herbaceousness, and the palate is lithe yet regal. Goes down oh so smoothly. Time to drink up and enjoy.
Are the mushroomy earthy underground cellar aroma things what they refer to as the "Cordier Brett" from that era? Well, I like it. Brett like this is fine, just not band-aid or old newspapers.
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12/8/2018 - joseduca Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still a lot of gas in the tank. Delicate and complex. Ever changing with food. Better with mild meat and some spicyness
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12/16/2017 - pepmi wrote: 90 Points
Remarkable after 32 years. A crumbly cork needed to be pushed into the bottle followed by decanting over cheese cloth. A dimly lit room made gauging color difficult, but the bouquet was ever present -- perhaps an accentuated olfactory sense given the subdued visual cues.
Immediate notes of graphite and violets -- very floral. An absence of earthy or leathery tones; full and round in the mouth, making for a pleasant drinking experience. Clean, bright and vibrant despite its age -- with a luscious, sweet finish.
After 30 minutes in the decanter, the '85 Talbot began to fade but not so detrimental as to detract from its enjoyment.
My last bottle of a case purchased upon release. Where have the years... and the bottles gone?
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9/24/2017 - FransS wrote: 82 Points
The ancient hallmark (?) of this château: burnt rubber in the bouquet, rough and a firm acidity; I will try to avoid this (kind of) wine.
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8/31/2017 - Ozymandeus wrote: flawed
Corked (sob). Could definitely tell there was an incredible bottle there before.
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7/13/2017 - Wineteacher wrote: 88 Points
I have known this wine since it was new. It was fruity, weighty and complex when it was still below age five. Now at 32 years of age, the wine has grown in the direction of neutrality. It was a disappointment that the wine has lost complexity and flavor interests. Still in great shape but just not as interesting. It is a competent wine but surprisingly not carrying any old wine interest. I guess it has grown in the direction of neutrality that is no longer terribly attractive.
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6/18/2017 - Arturoonwine wrote: 94 Points
This wine is at its apogee with a warm nose of crushed berries, rounded cassis and cigar box background. The usual barnyard funk still exists, but only as part of a totally expressive nose. The mouth feel is medium to full-bodied with no tannins left to mar the very long finish of smooth, refined and still passionate fruit. As good as it gets but, if you have some, please don't wait--it is as ready as can be. A glorious vintage now needing drinking.
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5/10/2017 - Isaac L wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 1985 Grand Tour; 5/5/2017-10/20/2023: The cork showed minimal seepage upon opening. Nose was characterised by a strong barnyard funk which didn't fully blow off even after 2 hours of air. In the mouth, a fair bit of red stonefruit showed on the palate nonetheless, together with notes of mushrooms, wet bark, cigar ash and hints of coffee grounds. Silky mouthfeel.
This wine was also consistent in profile with an '81 that I had previously, just slightly fresher around the edges. Drink up within the next 3 years.
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4/5/2017 - hajoha wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux 1985 horisontal (Oslo): Ren og pen med flott frukt.
Smooth og balansert.
Drikker flott nå.
Fin lengde 91-92p
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3/16/2017 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine: 90 Points
From Art's cellar. Talbot has always been one of my favorites and it did not disappoint at Mannys in Minneapolis. Two-hour decant, and color just starting to go amber on the rim. Classic currant and cedar nose, and the tannins had softened with lovely red fruit and a smooth mouth feel. Reminiscent of the 78s I had in the late 1990s. Still in a good place for a few more years.
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2/25/2017 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Quick double decant and this was showing old leather, funky earthy mushroom, bright blackberry and black cherry fruit, cigar wrapper and cedary sweet oak notes. Fat enough to deliver a full mouthfeel, but taught enough to have the cedary smokey precision these wines deliver at their best.
Cordier era Talbot to the max. If you like these wines you know exactly what I mean. Drink now.
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11/12/2016 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Magical once again and a pure joy for classic, aged Bordeaux lovers. We have tasted it 7-8 times now and all notes are very similar and happy to see this wine carrying on.
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9/7/2016 - Paul D wrote:
Medium/deep garnet, pale garnet/mahogany rim. Touch of barnyard and green pepper about this, red fruited, a bit pinched on the finish, but certainly decent enough. ***
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7/31/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Cordier bottling, in perfect condition. Long, pristine cork, the filling-level was into the neck. Medium to dark garnet colour. Immediately after opening the bottle the wine was medium-bodied and lean red fruit/red cherry-driven, but it gained fruit and became close to full-bodied (and fuller-bodied than expected) after some aeration. After a few minutes in a small decanter the wine offered a layered nose of cherry, black currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, mushroom, spices, cinnamon and clove. By then, it showed cherry, black currant, graphite, cedar, tobacco, spices, cinnamon and mild balsamic notes on the palate, with harmonious, medium-plus acidity, smooth, well-integrated, medium-plus tannin, a silky mouthfeel and superb length. I really liked this St. Julien for its smoothness and balance. It drank very well, in particular after some aeration, and did not show any signs of drying out anytime soon. Great Bordeaux.
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7/8/2016 - GuWin wrote: 92 Points
Sommersmaking i Sandefjord del I / Norwegian summer night - BYO (Sandefjord): Rødbrun med brunlig kant. Funky preg med fjøs, utedo, gjødsel - tar litt tid før det avdempes - etterhvert renere bordeauxtoner med lær og blyantspiss. Godt utviklet på smak, god frukt med fortsatt motstand, avslepne tanniner. Mulig brett på denne - men når de urene dufttonene fordufter blir det hele mer harmonisk. Vanskelig å gi poeng, og det svinger mellom midt på 80-tallet og tidlig 90-tall. Jeg liker det litt funky preget og slår til med 92.
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4/23/2016 - Zweder wrote:
No formal notes. The wine was mature, but still alive with beautiful tertiary flavors.
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3/26/2016 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
From a beautiful magnum, base of neck level and not decanted.
We have tasted this wine 6-7 times in the last 4 years and we consistently rate it 95-96. From magnum it was even more special and along with 82&86 magical wines. Beautiful once again 95-96
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12/13/2015 - BigTarheel Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tannins fully resolved, light-mid body. Walnut, pepper, damp cellar notes and dirt. Subtle dried red fruits. Interesting but on the decline.
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12/10/2015 - asgerG wrote: 95 Points
Vinklubben 1983's yearly X-mas dinner (Hos Britt): DnP. Garnet red, yellow rim, 4.5. Sexy complex mature left bank bouquet, spicy flowers, jasmin, pencil. Harmonious very balanced elegant palate. Intense without being tiring. It just goes on and on in the glass. Drink now - onwards. Wauww, this is what mature St.Julien is all about. Bo
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12/3/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote:
HDH Holiday Wine Tasting (HDH Offices - Chicago IL): Tasting, brief note. Lots of barnyard and very mature black fruit. Ok spice, moderate length.Past its peak.
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10/29/2015 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted for 2 hours. Needs a bit of care on the sediment.
This wine for us is a clear 95-96 and just a shear joy at this stage. As we say.... A true master class of a wine and a must buy for all lovers of mature, pure & old school claret. Past TNs hold. 95-96 and must buy more
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8/1/2015 - Wine_lvr wrote: 89 Points
°°° Bordeaux 1985 °°° (Emmen, Switzerland): Mature color. Nose of coffee, leather and barn. Quite thin, lacking power and one-dimensional. Now declining but overall ok to drink
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7/11/2015 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 92 Points
Best bottle #3 (@Private location): Glass: Riedel Syrah Universal
Quite good BDX. Nice nose of green pepper, tobacco, smoke, oak without any signs of brett. Medium body, medium intense flavors of red fruits, earthy notes and oak in a medium+ finish.
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6/15/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Medium garnet color, only slightly translucent, with some brick color and browning at the edges. Amazingly pronounced complex nose of cedar, tobacco, leather, a touch of anise, and smoky toasted French oak. On the palate, still plenty of fruit, but perfectly balanced with acidity; very little tannin left. The fruit still dominates the structure, as it should. The same aroma components are present in the flavor, with anise a bit more pronounced. The alcohol comes through in a slightly hot aftertaste, which just keeps going. Talbot has always been one of our favorites, delivers a great wine for the price. We cherish every bottle of our '80's, but not too many left. If you have this wine, by all means open and enjoy!
Ric
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6/11/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Paired with Leoville Poyferré and Gruaud Larose. More evolved in colour. On the nose spices, herbs, some vegetal and green notes. Not much fruit on the palate, a bit drying. Good acidity and finish. 88-90
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5/27/2015 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
A Casual Wednesday in Toronto with the Toronto Cru (FWR, Toronto, ON): (served blind) pours on the lighter end of things in terms of colour with heavy bricking. The nose is complex, mature and expansive of celery seed, green peppercorn, dark cherry, unsmoked cigar tobacco, sweet cedar, herbs, barnyard (some brett clearly evident), dry leaves and leather. Palate is somewhat drying out at this stage. Fully enjoyable todday but don't wait too much longer. The tannins are mostly gone and the fruit and cedar leave a lovely old bordeaux sweet impression with moderate acid providing refreshment. I guessed left bank Bordeaux from 83, 85 or 88 due to the green streak, lightness and full maturity. In hindsight I almost should have known is was a Cordier bottling due to the rusticity.
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5/26/2015 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
I bought this on release in 1988 and have cellared it since. An amazing wine for 30 years old, an excellent example of how beautifully Bordeaux can age and become more complex. Medium brick color, some definite browning at the edges. Quite viscous, with slow-moving "legs". Aromas as pronounced and complex as any wine I've tasted recently...classic cedar, cigar-box, leather, earthy "barnyard", with toasty French oak, so typical of Talbot and other Cordier reds. There is still plenty of fruit and flavor, supple, soft, complex, round, perfectly balanced...plums, blackberries, licorice, nicely blended with oak. The aftertaste is incredibly long. Wines like this are what make Bordeaux as precious as it is, that can last this long and still have such fruit, aromas, and complexity. As much as I love the big "fruit bombs" from U.S. and Australia, a perfectly aged and mature Bordeaux is unique.
Ric
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5/16/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 92 Points
An "intellectual" wine that brings back memories of old books in a library, wet grass, liquorice, leather and chocolate...to name a few. We find the complete lack of tannins to lessen the experience, albeit the silky smooth elegance is well-received.
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3/21/2015 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
30 years of 1985 Bordeaux at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Double decanted and left to rest in the bottle for a good 2 hours. Very good level and cork.
The beauty that is the Talbot 1985. A true master class of a wine and a must buy for all lovers of mature, pure & old school claret. Very consistent too as we have tried this 3 times in the last 3 years and performed between 95-96. Today it was easily along with the other gem the 85 Gruaud Larose the red wine of the night. Our previous TN from 3 months ago hold true . " Beautiful, evolved, open nose, complex, cedar, light leather, light fruit. Harmonious wine, balanced and a true Gem". Once again a 96+ and we repeat a must buy.
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3/9/2015 - La Peste Likes this wine: 98 Points
This is what I want to drink all of the time. Venison, blood, bactine. The finish lingers forever. Masculine, well structured and drinking perfectly right now.
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1/24/2015 - DaleW wrote:
ripe, friendly, some funk. good length. A-/B+
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12/7/2014 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
Pre Christmas Dinner at The Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): Consistently a great wine and was easily wine of the night. Double decanted 2 hours ahead. Fine sediment. Beautiful, evolved, open nose, complex, cedar, light leather, light fruit. Harmonious wine, balanced and a true Gem. We have had it 3 times now and rated it 95 in 1/12,95 4/13 and today was a clear 96+. A must buy
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10/30/2014 - salil wrote: 93 Points
My last bottle from a six bottle auction lot I bought a few years ago, and the best experience I've had with '85 Talbot so far. A beautiful fragrance that keeps getting better with air; a core of red and dark fruit framed by earth, tobacco, leather, and that unmistakeable Cordier funk, and a palate presence that's remarkably elegant and graceful with medium weight, tannins fully resolved, and a bright acid spine keeping it very fresh and lively.
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10/30/2014 - WMWG Likes this wine:
Cordier funk on the nose; leather, earth, some barnyard, Asian spice. Beautiful on the palate, sinewy texture with red fruit and a really pleasant herbal note (in the best sense). Still showing mild structure, the acidity keeps this very fresh. Secondary flavors and aromas of leather, earth, barnyard are well integrated and stand alongside/ mix with the red fruit well. No noticeable oak. Medium+ finish.
Excellent
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10/4/2014 - Tartiflette Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had the pleasure of tasting one of these at a friends house. The wines he inherited has been in the same cellar since "birth". And this one was in a top condition. Not even a bit brown around the rim. Just a beautiful color and the taste the same. Seemed like it was very close to its top. drinking window.
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9/5/2014 - Jean Theodore wrote:
This wine - or this particular bottle - is too old. Brownish colour, no fruit left, smell for the rest passable with some mushroom and cellar, in the mouth a bit thin, some old acidic tones
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9/5/2014 - englishman's claret wrote: flawed
The cork leaked yielding a distinctive peppery, meat, prune oxidation. Totally off and it's a shame because when it's on, this is one of my favorites. A WineBid bottle.
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5/31/2014 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Medium cherry-garnet color, very light at the rim but still youthful enough. Attractive sweet and savory nose, wild berries, forest floor, wet leather and asian spices. Very elegant mouthfeel, a bit light, with more red fruits and an animal note, very clean, not at all tired, with a nice persistence. This bottle is starting to lose its structure, but it's still pleasingly vinous. Nice wine.
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5/24/2014 - englishman's claret wrote:
The nose on this jumped out of the glass - much more exuberant than the last bottle. This bottle was 1980s Talbot all the way - full of barnyard, cedar, tobacco, and with the fruit. Getting just a touch tired on the palate. Long finish.
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5/4/2014 - kfinsrud wrote: 90 Points
BN fill. Mursteinsrød med oransje kant. Nese domineres av cedertre. Noen jordlige toner, litt sigarkasse og røykt kjøtt. Plommer. Flott kropp og elegante modne tanniner munner ut i en svakt tørrende avslutning. Bra balanse. Pent moden vestside bdx. Kan drikkes alene, men passet godt til dåhjort. De jordlige tonene i vinen passet bra til saltbakte rødbeter.
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3/31/2014 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Another excellent bottle, though the fill on this was a bit lower (high shoulder) than others in the case. More of that savoury, leathery Cordier funk around a core of red and dark fruited flavours that are still quite fresh and vibrant. Drinking superbly now with tannins fully resolved, bright acidity keeping it lively, and a very polished, graceful palate presence.
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11/22/2013 - JulianSkeels wrote: 93 Points
1985 Bdx lunch (Caprice, Hong Kong): Not the best bottle from my case, and I think it showed. Decanted 30 mins, very smooth and light but lacked the aromatic fireworks I love this wine for. Still, clearly punched above its weight. Improved in the glass, and everyone loved it... But I know this could and should have been better. Three star Michelin restaurants just don't serve wine like my home....
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11/16/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
Saturday Skeels BBQ: St Julien 85s are my Saturday night party pieces, and this wine delivered - yet again. Everyone's favourite red wine of the night, and the cheapest wine served. A wonderful St Julien 1985, cedar and graphite explosive nose and typically thin, but very rich (think butter) and long finish. Decanted for 90 minutes, the wine held up well for a few hours without signs of fading. People that say this is fading or past it as just wrong - sorry!
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9/9/2013 - vince2047 wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of tar and tobacco and has flavours of tar and cherry - Unexpected strong nose , well balanced compared with same vintage of Lynch Bages. Bottle breathing at 4:00pm n serve at 7:00pm.
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7/19/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderful St Julien 1985, cedar and graphite explosive nose and typically thin, but rich and long finish. Decanted for 30 minutes, the wine held up well for a few hours without signs of fading. Should last longer than other reviewers expect, no hurry to drink up well-stored bottles.
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6/27/2013 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brick red, with slight browning at the edges. Still quite opaque. Very pronounced complex aroma of cassis, leather, cedar. Typical earthy aromas of Talbot. Smooth medium bodied flavors which build on the palate, starting with cassis, then adding cedar and licorice. Plenty of fruit but very balanced. Only slight tannins. Extremely long aftertaste, surprisingly hot. This wine has aged magnificently since I got it on release in 1988. It has always been one of my favorite Bordeaux, and always well priced relative to others of the same quality. This wine is at its peak but hasn't lost anything. It may hold for another 2-3 years, but why take the chance?
Ric
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6/2/2013 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Pretty much what rmassey said. Savoury, fully resolved, so polished and drinking incredibly well now.
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6/2/2013 - rm wines wrote:
Tar, leather, and smoke on the nose that balances against a solid acidic spine on the palate. This is a wine that is entirely typical of the Cordier style-- a very good thing in my book.
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5/11/2013 - blanquito wrote: 88 Points
Bordeaux (mostly 80s) at La Fonda del Sol (NYC): Solid, but foursquare, funky, a bit green.
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5/11/2013 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Old Bordeaux at La Fonda del Sol (NYC): Shows a fair bit of that classic Cordier character with leathery and earthy funk around tobacco and red fruited flavours, drinking really well now with the tannins nicely resolved, but not showing the same level of depth and complexity as the Magdelaine and PLL poured alongside.
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4/19/2013 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Needs decanting, like 30mins to open up but also to remove the fine sediment in the bottle. This is clearly one for the lovers of well aged claret, and following a discussion we had with another fellow CTer, for the ones who like the cedar nose on their wine. And for us this is the stuff we like. Well aged, good fruit and ful on mature. Once again a great showing from an 80s talbot. 95 drinks well now and have a few more years in the tank.
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4/12/2013 - fafounet wrote: 79 Points
Nothing interesting
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2/2/2013 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
Drank this with Mike. From 750. Really interesting to drink this the night following a half bottle of the '86. While the '86 is technically a better made and better balanced wine, the '85 shows more Talbot personality. In fact, the "best" vintages of Talbot (e.g., 82, 86, 00) never really seem to show the chateau's personality like some of the good-but-not-great vintages.
The '85 shows a lot of cedar, cigar tobacco, and barnyard qualities with fruit to match. Certainly a wine where you'd be safe guessing Talbot if you were to taste it blind. Early on, the palate is a little austere - not full, but showing quality fruit and earth. With air, the nose gets a little more subdued but the palate puts on weight and intensity. A very good vintage of Talbot. Good buy at auction.
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9/7/2012 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had it over an Italian dinner, decanted for half an hour. Lots of sediment, but that was to be expected.
Divine bouquet. Smell of plums, cherries, cedar. I detected a nice floral? smell, but the wife did not detect that.
Taste was fantastic - what one would expect from a properly aged St Julien. Words fail me.
A word of caution though, the finish was too short - 7 seconds max? Which means that this baby had passed its peak. A greatly enjoable point nonetheless. 93 points.
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6/26/2012 - pavel_p wrote: 90 Points
Poured two glasses and then decided to decant as this was showing a lot of cedar and not much else. Gained weight and balance with a 30 min or so decant. VTS fill, almost completely soaked cork but came out in one piece. Bricking red. Barnyard and cedar, earth and still a fair bit of dark, and also some red fruit. High acidity and fine tannins. Nice but again there is a bit too much cedar for my taste - particularly in combination with the high acidity.
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6/13/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
Sweet evolved nose of red fruit, leather, pencil and a little coffee. Very smooth and round on the palate. Long finish. Really impressive.
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5/5/2012 - salil wrote: 91 Points
More funky and bretty than my last bottle, almost overwhelmingly so at first but the barnyard/saddle sweat funk calms down with some air and settles into the background framing fresh red and dark fruits and mature tobacco and cedary flavours. Polished texturally, fully mature with tannins resolved and drinking very well though doesn't seem to be in any danger of decline.
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4/7/2012 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Various Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT): This was opened late in the night and my notes are schetchy, but this showed well, with mature, secondary flavors and that "Cordier" funk. Silky mouthfeel and drinking quite well.
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4/7/2012 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very nicely now with a core of rich dark fruited flavours framed by mature cedar, earthy and tobacco flavours and that leathery Cordier funk. Polished and quite elegant with the tannins rather fine grained, lovely stuff I'm glad to have a few bottles of though I'm not rushing to drink it up.
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4/7/2012 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Too much wine, too few notes (SBs): Very nice example of mid-age Bordeaux. Cedar, cigar, earth, very nice mouthfeel, good finish.
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3/11/2012 - NY Wino wrote: 96 Points
Brickish color, wonderful bouquet of smoke, earth and wood. The wine is fully mature and drinking beautifully. So silky smooth, long finish. Great wine.
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1/8/2012 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted for about one hour. Lots of fine sediment so be careful with distrurbing this botttle. In neck level.
Another great showing from an 85 St Julien (our tip fro great value well aged bdx) and especially of Talbot, which we consistently get great showings from 80s and 90s these days.
Colour is brickign and shows the age. One the nose it is simply stunning, open full on secondary with nice cedar, and light fruit notes and earthy notes. On the palate it is well round and the tannin is well integrated and silky. Maybe at its peak and lack a bit of vibrancy but away from this is a superb bottle and great value and we will definitely look to buy a lot more. 94-96 and maybe at its peak now.
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11/24/2011 - pepmi wrote: 92 Points
My philosophy for Thanksgiving dinner wine selection is to disregard advice on the intricacy of turkey/wine pairing and opt for wine(s) that I want to drink. With that in mind, I picked the '85 Talbot, after seeing very favorable tasting notes on Cellar Tracker.
I still recall over two decades ago, driving up to Zachy's to buy a bunch of wine, with a moderate year-end bonus in hand and eager to build a cellar collection. The case of ‘85 was the first installment of what became a full case vertical of Talbot from 1980 to 1990. Now, only a few bottles of each vintage remain.
The '85 Talbot still showed plenty of vibrant reds in the glass with hints of browning only on the edges. The nose was packed with sweet, Burgundy-ish cherry accented by notes of leather and earthy pencil lead. The wine showed plenty of lush fullness and a long finish. Not quite up to the caliber of a 25 year old First Growth but plenty to be proud of. And, to think I paid about $30 a bottle for it. This is a Cellar Tracker community favorite for very good reason. If you can find a bottle with immaculate cellaring, buy it. You won't be disappointed.
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5/27/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 96 Points
Another Friday Night with Greg & Sayo (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Perfect bottle by fill and storage. Bright, alive, deep ruby red semi transparent colour. Nose is OMFG....a level higher than any of the other bottles I have drank and that's saying something....earth, earth and more damp earth; pencil lead, high acetone....grrrr.. fresh-cut cedar trees....so fresh and alive.....mesmerising. Palate is wonderful acid/tannin poise and balance....slightly high acidity...low fruit....but then a huuuuge tsunami of finish and reverberance.....on and on. Fruit creeps back with time in the glass....red berries and tart black berries. It remains on the acidic side...but....this was near-perfect tonight. Gosh......perfect by any normal standard.
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2/9/2011 - emkc wrote: 90 Points
Drank this with 01 Meerhust Rubicon, 02 Sena, 08 Grace Chairman's Reserve. This is easily WOTN with the Meerhust. If you want to see what the 1985 vintage tastes like, this will be a good example. Brilliant nose of earth and leather. Tannins are very refine and soft. however, the mid palate was absent and the finish was short. Had similar experience with 1985 Mouton in mag before but with better finish. Most of the 1985 needs to be drunk IMO.
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12/18/2010 - jcarnahan wrote: 91 Points
really really good...held up well with prime rib...decanted 2 hours prior - could have been decanted longer.
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12/12/2010 - wap4u wrote: 92 Points
Brilliant bottle, double magnum. decanted five hours in advance. Classic Bordeaux with all the secundary and tertiary flavors you would expect. A slight hint of sour but this was not disturbing. All in all classical Bordeaux experience with large bottle, always a relief if they show well...
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2/5/2010 - SAND wrote:
Farge: Moden rødfarge, med mursteinrødt mot kanten.
Duft: Deilig moden bordeauxnese med lær, stall, fjøs, sopp, sigarkasse og blyant.
Smak: Moden frukt, sødmefull, ganske kraftig (men har nok blitt noe lettere siste 15 år...), runder av med litt tanniner og tørrhet som gjør den til en deilig matvin.
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2/2/2010 - MRichman wrote:
1985 Bordeaux at 25 years (Morton's NYC): Soft, broad, resolved with rubber/band aid, some light coffee and black fruit. Hint of sweet core. Good long firm finish. Complex and balanced. Excellent and easy to like.
A-
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6/7/2009 - wcgarrett wrote:
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4/2/2009 - chatters wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Meat, blackcurrant, tobacco, damsons, plums, prunes, truffles, bitter chocolate, leather, wet hay
Mouth: Blackcurrant, savoury, spice, chewy tannins, chocolate, petrol/rubber (perhaps)
Very nice, the mouth is a little flat compared to the nose. Lovely balance. Probably nearing the end of it's life. Rating, as always, reflects price (£60)
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3/6/2009 - Old Claret wrote: 95 Points
Drank at Black Salt - last minute decision to eat out. Grabbed the bottle and chose it over the 1996 Leroy Perrieres. AN loved it, as reflected in the score; in fact, we finished the bottle. Steve thought it a bit dry and would give it a 91-92.
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10/28/2008 - raketmensch wrote:
Deep red with brick at the very edges. I was terrified at first- the top of the cork disintegrated, and a bit of cork went down with the worm to the wine- easily removed with a decant. Bottom half of the cork was strong, and the wine safe. After an hour decant, the nose was strongly of dried mushrooms, wet stone, a palate of dusky fruit not quite out yet, herbs, tobacco. After cooking dinner (maybe another hour?) I noticed a bright orange citrus streak in the palate- tangerine zest? This was cool to observe as it came and went, and as the red fruits came out after maybe three hours, I found myself sitting with a very serious, very grown-up tasting claret. Strong body with an iron core, yet supple, with lively red notes that harmonize with a still grippy acidity. Nose of mulberry, dark red fruits, wet, black soil, violets, far-away hen-of-the-wood. Fabulous, and the price is right.
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2/23/2008 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong: Decanted for two hours and then drank over the following 3 hours. It needed at least that to start showing its full colours. Is still is a gorgeous deep red colour showing little hint of its age. The nose is heavenly, like a walk through a cedar woods with mushrooms in the undergrowth. Also saddle leather on the nose. Great structure and harmony with still a lot of fruit on the palate and similar tones to the nose. Good length. Delicious.....and the nose is to die for.
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4/16/2007 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
Drunk over a deliberately relaxed business lunch at Crown Wine Callar in Hong Kong. Absolutely superb, classic Talbot. Definitely had conversation-stopping characteristics. A shame I couldn't take more detailed notes because the wine deserved it.
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6/11/2006 - Dixie_F wrote: 91 Points
Mushrooms, leather, tobacco, peat. Fruit starting to show after 2hours. Great bottle of wine.
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5/3/2006 - bendrew wrote: 87 Points
Pleasant fully mature wine. The nose had lost much of its original fruit and instead offered some interesting herbal and vegetal notes. Although there was a very integrated fragrance, it seemed to be unbalanced due to the lack of fruit. Slightly thin on the palate, again showing a lack of fruit. I suspect this wine was significantly better 5 years ago.
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1/7/2006 - Dixie_F wrote:
October tasting - Fruit almost gone. Sandlewood, peat, tabacco, soft soft tanins, lush long finish.
December tasting - Fuit came to the front after bottle was open 2 hours.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Full garnet red. Lovely complex red fruit aroma. Really nice rich open red fruit. 1/06
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12/26/2005 - elfez wrote: 93 Points
Nose dominated by damp earth and dry wood. Hidden behind that was cherry fruit. On the palate, all of the above plus graphite and leather. A lovely, complex wine. Beautifully balanced tannins and acidity. Long finish, though not as long as the '89. Delicious.
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4/8/2005 - Goldstone wrote: 92 Points
Drunk at a private wine event at a friend's house in Hong Kong where it was up against Opus One '86, Lafite and Latour '86 and Palmer '82, plus others. Impressed everyone and was absolutely gorgeous. Is probably now on the top of its form. Lovely nose, good fruit, beautifully balanced tannins and great length. Was the most memorable wine of the evening for me.
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1/19/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 86 Points
Tasted at the Left Bank Bordeaux tasting at the home of FreeTheGrapes 1/19/2005.
I do not have any notes on how long this was decanted, but I remember it was not very long.
This wine was the darkest I color of the flight. Very well balanced, the somewhat reticent nose showed red berries and some spices. On the palate, this was a medium bodied wine, showing more berries and cherry, with a short to medium length finish from which the tannins have all but disappeared.
Very enjoyable at 86 points, but I expect it may have been better a few years ago. I would drink this wine sooner than later, though it may not fall off a cliff.
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11/18/2001 - Henman wrote:
Light barnyard and cassis nose.Soft and pleasant cassis,barnyard palate.
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10/31/1995 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Christie's Pre-Sale Tasting (Amsterdam): Lovely powerful combination of smoothness and a farmyardy character.
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2/9/1995 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
1985 Bordeaux Tasting 10 Wines+ 1986 Gruaud Larose+1967 Chateau Suduiraut (Lafayette, Ca.): Nice, rich, jammy fruit on the nose, rich, lovely taste, good acid, soft and slight tannins, long finish. My #3 and Group #5.
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9/14/1989 - MicklethePickle Does not like this wine: 62 Points
At Square One (SF) at Jeff Glick's going away party. Rich, medium-dark red. Herbaceous, bell pepper aroma. Dill. On the palate, somewhat weird. Bizarre. Not good at all. What happened? 5-4-3-0: 62/100.
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