1985 Château Certan de May

Community Tasting Notes (38) Avg Score: 92.6 points

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  12/28/2022 - billbounds Likes this wine:

  Having had this wine 1.5 years ago when it took 90-min of slo-ox to come alive, I wanted to try out giving it more air. Opened three hours before dinner, decanted for 30 min and then back into the bottle in the cellar to slo-ox for the remainder.
  
  Four hours after open this wine was making a very strong showing. The nose is straight wonderful if not overpromising just a touch, as the palate was hiding a bit behind still-strong tannins. Maybe a knock revealed only because it was being paired against an '82 Bon Pasteur that displayed a level of finesse this bottle on this night couldn't quite match.
  
  A delicious wine, and one that I wish I had more of in the cellar. Plenty of years ahead of this one if you so choose. Drinking now I would err on the side of more air than less and this wine won't disappoint.

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  12/15/2022 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 90 Points

  Double blind from a small capped bottle (in a flight of the 88,85, & 81): Similar nose in some ways to the 88, but riper and bigger - some cherry and some marzipan sweetness, a little cookie. More plush - savory, nutty.
  
  Day 2: Bigger than 88 with lots of soy and carob and a meaty-ripe-roast dark/red fruit thing. Stalky too. Almost cocoa-coffee. Thus is more powerful than the 88 but not as fine or precise. The palate is good - more sour and bigger again than the 88. Some meaty and coffee like notes with good acidity but a little rough. I think everyone else preferred the 85 to the 88. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4.5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.

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  7/16/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points

  As soon as the 85 Certan de May hits the decanter, it's ready to go - and actually best for the first half hour or so (base neck fill). The nose here is full of Perigord truffle, woodcock, allspice, and raspberry. There's a hint of volatility here, but not enough to seriously distract; in terms of that rusticity and the lightening color and body, this almost seems much older than 1985. At its debut, this is very good - but not a candidate for decanting as it fades quickly.

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  5/21/2022 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points

  The nose exhibits perfume, red currant, plum, graphite, spice, old wardrobe and dried leaves. Palate shows vivid acid alongside unpredictable power given the vintage. The wine is so resolved and giving, which offers plenty of pleasure.

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  9/21/2021 - DaleW wrote:

  Lovely showing. Blackcurrant and ripe plum, leather, cedar, espresso. Nicely put together A-

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