A great classic Vintage, with concentrated, rich and potent wines. General declaration. Great quality wines with intense aromas of concentrated fruit and firm tannins, rich and full-bodied wines. Many should age well for decades.

Richard Mayson wrote: “A few outstandingly good wines for the long term. With a good, ripe tannin structure to support them, Dow, Taylor and Warre are ready to drink and continue to develop well until 2030 at least.” 

FTLOP Roy Hersh 93 points: “Sporting earthy aromas of tobacco leaf, an herbal essence and loads of sweet cherry. Possessing sexy sleek lines and ripe raspberry fruit adorned with spicy red liquorice flavours to add some intricacy to the core. The finish may be the strong suit as it is fruit filled, and loaded with a velvety milk chocolate aftertaste. This 1980 is a consistent contender, rich and smooth and sublimely balanced with refined tannins still delivering enough grip to keep drinking well another fifteen to twenty years or possibly a bit longer.”

Michael Broadbent MW 4 stars: “Virtually opaque, still a plummy immature purple. Rich, figgy, harmonious nose. Sweet, full of flavor and body, very rich, good fruit, fat for an ‘80, good length.”

 Vintage: 1985
Alcohol content: 20%
Volume: 75 cl
Grapes: Blend of traditional grapes from the Douro)
Cellaring: drink or keep for a few decades 
Serving: 16 to 18 C
Last: 5 to 6 days after opening
Pairing: The best combination with Vintage is blue cheese such as Stilton or chocolate and/or fruit desserts. It's an amazing combination when paired with a foie gras or a good cigar.