Decanting
Vintage Port forms a natural deposit in the bottle and should be decanted. Stand the bottle upright a few hours before decanting to allow the sediment to fall to the bottom of the bottle.
Select Year
1985
Storage
Continues to improve for decades after bottling. The bottle should be kept lain down in a cool place, ideally at a temperature below 16ºC.
Serving temperature
Serve at 16ºC to 18ºC. Vintage Port is best drunk one to two days after opening.
Pairing suggestions
Walnuts, blue veined and other richly flavoured cheeses are excellent accompaniments to Vintage Port; so too are dried fruits such as apricots or figs.
Select Year
About the Wine
The Vintage of 1985 was preceded by an exceptionally cold, wet Winter. Bud burst took place early in April and flowering around the end of May. The Summer was hot throughout and the harvest started on 26th September. By the close of harvest it was apparent that the year had produced Port wines of exceptional quality.
The late entertainer and cartoonist Willy Rushton visited Taylor Fladgate's Quinta de Vargellas in 1985 and drew his memorable sketches of the Taylor Fladgate’s Vintage at Vargellas.
Tasting Notes
Intense ruby colour, now just beginning to open out. Rich, complete, multidimensional nose, displaying elements of both youth and maturity. Aromas of ripe berry fruit, liquorice and butterscotch with scented violet notes. The palate is now quite smooth and round with velvety well integrated tannins and masses of rich figgy fruit flavour. Warm mellow finish full of rich jammy fruit.
Michael Broadbent MW, The Great Vintage Wine Book II