The 1985 was great young, then went into a dormant state, but has bounced back with a vengeance. The medium ruby color is not particularly saturated, but the gorgeous bouquet offers up scents of balsam, pepper, black cherries, and leather. The wine is alcoholic, heady, and rich, but a sneaky tannic characteristic creeps up as the wine sits in the glass. The 1985 has continually played games, one bottle suggesting early maturity, and the next indicating far greater longevity. There is no color degradation, and it appears to be just now reaching its peak of maturity. I would opt for drinking it over the next 5-10 years. Importers: Alain Junguenet, Wines of France, Mountainside, NJ; tel. (908) 654-6173 and Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400