Château Latour 1985

🍷 Review of Château Latour 1985

📋 Introduction & conclusion: A gentle giant in top form

Château Latour 1985 is a Premier Cru Classé from the 1985 vintage, which is considered "exceptional" in Bordeaux. It is one of the Château's great wines, known for its concentration, power and enormous ageing potential.

In contrast to the often monolithic and powerful vintages of a Latour (such as the legendary 1982), the 1985 offers an unusually elegant, approachable style. It is now at the peak of its maturity, where youthful vigour has given way to majestic elegance. This report summarises all the relevant aspects of the taste, reviews, value and drinking maturity of this exceptional wine.

📈 Context: The 1985 Bordeaux vintage

To properly categorise the 1985 Latour, it is helpful to take a look at the vintage:

• Character: the 1985 Bordeaux vintage is not a vintage of pure power and concentration. Instead, it is known for its finesse, elegance and harmony.

• Characteristics: The wines are generally racy, round and polished. They mature faster than the great "vintages of the century" and offer an exceptionally charming drinking experience.

• Significance: Tastingbook magazine even describes 1985 as an "extraordinary vintage". It was the perfect blend of a dry, warm September that saved the grapes, which particularly favoured the Merlot grape variety.

👃 Flavour profile & drinking maturity

Aroma & flavour

Château Latour 1985 presents itself today in a complex and harmonious state. The descriptions by professional critics paint a consistent picture:

Optimal drinking maturity

Experts are largely unanimous on this point:

• The prime: wine is currently in its optimum drinking window. It has shed its youthful tannin and now presents itself in full, mature splendour.

• Ageing potential: Despite its age, the wine still shows considerable potential. Jane Anson gives a drinking window of 2022 to 2035. No significant deterioration is to be expected over the next 5 to 10 years. One Tastingbook entry even recommends storage until 2030.

🏅 Critics' ratings: Divided, but still highly appreciated

The reviews of the 1985 Latour are surprisingly heterogeneous, revealing its ambivalent nature as a gentle, unusually accessible Latour. The extremes are particularly striking: some personal tasters praise it to the point of perfection, while the established professional critics are more restrained but nevertheless favourable.

The top: 100 points from an enthusiastic collector

On CellarTracker, one of the largest wine databases in the world, a user named Isaac L awarded the highest score of 100 pointsin February 2025 , describing the wine as the "best glass of wine I've ever had the pleasure of drinking" and raving about a "weightlessness", as if he were drinking "liquid silk".

The most important specialist reviews at a glance

The top ratings from James Suckling (95 pts.) and Jane Anson (95 pts.)emphasise the quality of the wine. Anson also emphasises that it is "unquestionably the best example that I have encountered of this wine" and recommends drinking it until 2035.

The high ratings of some are contrasted by more critical voices: Neal Martin from the Wine Advocate gives it a moderate 88 points and calls it a good, but not a great Latour. This discrepancy can be explained by the unusual style of the wine: it is not a classic, powerful Latour, but one that focuses on elegance and finesse, which does not appeal to every critic equally.

💰 Current market value & price

Château Latour 1985 is a sought-after collector's item, the price of which depends heavily on the condition of the bottle. Here is a current price range for a 75cl bottle:

A new bottle costs around €500at the retailer ; an older auction in 2017 achieved around €305, and a twelve-bottle lot was auctioned at Christie's for the equivalent of around €365 per bottle. The fill level, capsule, label and lightness of colour are always decisive factors, which can determine whether a moderate discount or a considerable premium is achieved.

🍽️ Recommended food pairing and serving tips

For an optimal flavour experience, these tips should be followed:

• Serving temperature: 15-16 degrees Celsius (cooler than room temperature).

• Decanting: Old vintages generally need little time to breathe; rather to remove sediment. If required: open 30-60 minutes before.

• Recommended dishes: Goes excellently with strong meat dishes such as lamb, game, beef, as well as mature cheese.

🔍 List of sources

This analysis is based on research carried out in spring 2026 and includes the following sources

• CellarTracker: user notes (including Isaac L, 2/2025) and community ratings on wine

• Farr Vintners: Professional tasting notes from Robert Parker and James Suckling

• Fine+Rare (FRW): Reviews by Jane Anson, Neal Martin and Jeff Leve on current drinking maturity

• The Wine Cellar Insider: Background information on Château Latour and tasting notes by Jeff Leve

• Wine.com: Detailed tasting notes from James Suckling, Decanter and the winemaker himself

• Maison Wineted: Product detail with vineyard, terroir and food pairing

• Tastingbook: Algorithm-based wine rating and community notes

• The Wine Cellar Insider (Vintage Report): Detailed analysis of the 1985 Bordeaux vintage

• Christie's: Auction result for a 12-bottle case of Château Latour 1985

• Bidforwine: Past auction result