1985 Clos de la Roche

The 1985 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru has a breathtaking bouquet with wild strawberry and raspberry fruit, hints of wild mint, brine and a touch of wild fennel. There is astonishing precision and focus in situ here. The palate has a balletic sense of balance that marries with the fruit intensity this growing season bestowed its fines wines. I am quite taken aback by its youthfulness and finesse, supple in texture with pastille-like red fruit that fan out on the sappy finish, traces of bay leaf on the long aftertaste. Despite being now over 30 years old, I feel that this Clos de la Roche could still improve over the next 10 or 15 years. Tasted at Tour d’Argent restaurant in Paris.

As a group the 1985s were more advanced and also seemed to offer far less upside potential. The Clos St. Denis was dominated by firm tannins that gave the wine a sense of angularity and leanness, with limited fruit. I tasted two bottles, neither of which seemed to suggest the wine might eventually come around. The Bonnes-Mares was the most convincing of the 1985s. Here the dark red fruit was textured, rich and expansive, although the wine needed quite a bit of time in the glass to show its pedigree. The 1985 Clos de la Roche came across as soft, floral, approachable and fully mature. Though somewhat simple in this context, it was also highly enjoyable as all of the elements seemed resolved.