Ratings & Tasting Notes:

95 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Drunk from a pristinely preserved original disgorgement, the 1985 Dom Pérignon is inviting and exuberant, bursting with aromas of apples, pears, buttered toast, orange oil, tarte tatin, and smoke. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied, ample, and pillowy, with a generous core of fruit, ripe but racy acids, and a refined mousse. The 1985 is in its prime, so now is a great time to open bottles. Robert Parker, April 2020

97 points Jeannie Cho Lee MW

This aged Dom Pérignon is as much a complex white wine as it is a stylish Champagne. With the bubbles having gently faded over the decades, this wine shows how wonderfully elite Champagnes age. Deeply biscuity with intricate layers of toasted hazelnuts, smoke, and warm brioche, the finish is exceptionally generous and complex. It is truly at its mature peak. Jeannie Cho Lee, January 2017

90 points Wine Spectator

Excellent finesse defines this vintage, which remains remarkably fresh with a structural spine of lime and vibrant citrus, while subtly hinting at lovely developed notes of hazelnut, nutmeg, and roasted coffee bean. It concludes on a very long, complex, orange-peel-scented finish. Wine Spectator, June 2013

Cult Wines International Notes:

Moët & Chandon’s prestige cuvée, Dom Pérignon, stands as an unrivaled, globally revered icon of luxury winemaking, named in honor of the legendary 17th-century Benedictine monk who pioneered defining viticultural standards in the Abbey of Hautvillers. Operating under an uncompromising philosophy, Dom Pérignon is exclusively produced as a vintage Champagne, choosing to skip less-than-perfect growing seasons entirely to preserve its elite pedigree. The house’s signature style is a masterclass in tension and symmetry, typically crafting a near-flawless 50/50 balance of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced entirely from pristine Grand Cru plots and the historic Premier Cru of Hautvillers. Engineered for slow, decades-long autolytic transformation, Dom Pérignon is celebrated for its creamy texture, intense phenolic depth, and iconic, reductive smoky finish.

The 1985 growing season across Champagne is universally celebrated as a brilliant, highly distinctive triumph of the 1980s, defined by extreme climatic contrasts that ultimately yielded wines of immense aromatic power. The year started with a legendary, cataclysmic winter freeze in January—dropping to a record-breaking -25°C—which severely damaged vines throughout the Marne Valley. Fortunately, nature beautifully corrected itself; a warm summer paved the way for a glorious, sun-drenched September. The harvest commenced under absolutely immaculate, dry conditions on September 30th, delivering small, low-yielding crops boasting exceptional natural sugars and racy, structurally sound acidities. For the 1985 vintage, chef de cave Dominique Foulon adjusted the final blend to a slightly Chardonnay-dominant structure (60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir), capturing the subtle, highly persistent perfumes of the vintage.

Now at over forty years of maturity, the 1985 Dom Pérignon has entered a magnificent, regal phase of its life span. The high-strung primary citrus edges have melted into a gorgeous, golden-hued tapestry of tertiary decadence. The nose is spectacularly complex, throwing off rich aromas of tarte tatin, acacia honey, buttered brioche, and signature flinty smoke. On the palate, the effervescence has softened into a fine, creamy, and velvety mousse, supporting a vinous, full-bodied core of dried figs, roasted nuts, and orange marmalade held aloft by a persistent trace of chalky minerality. This historic, textbook bottling represents a legendary snapshot of old-school Champagne royalty that will thrillingly reward serious wine collectors.