Simon Field: Big brooding colour, unyielding and impressive. The nose is still youthful, quite austere and quietly confident. Hints of black cherries and meat, a chronicle of quality foretold. On the palate, a very big wine, all the constituent elements present and correct and extremely well balanced. Youthful where others are in decline, evolving where others are starting to tire - this is a delightful wine with real potential. 18.5

Andrew Jefford: Magnificently dark, dense wine; there are many '85s, alas, with less colour than this. Not powerfully aromatic, indeed rather restrained. However, the aromatic profile is very impressive: still built around a core of fresh fruit with so many stony, earthy complexities behind. Textured and deep, this is generously built, still richly fruity Vintage Port, fully mature at present but showing no sign of easing up. Dark plum, cherry and bramble fruits are still much in evidence, and the ample tannins are soft, lush and accessible. Tarry finish. Top stuff. I just wish there were a little less restraint here. It doesn’t quite feel like a really good bottle; there is that 5 o'clock shadow of poor cork lingering over it. Nonetheless, I believe a really good bottle would merit this score... 18.5

Richard Mayson: Very deep youthful colour, with an opaque centre and thin ruby rim. Tight and dense with much more to give on the nose. Similarly tight knit and powerful in the mouth. Lovely bitter-chocolate concentration on the mid-palate, with firm spicy tannins in harmony and a peacock's-tail finish. Very fine now but better in 5-10 years. Drink to 2030 plus. (Smith Woodhouse?) 17.5