The 1985 vintage at Certan de May is one of my all-time favorites for this estate, and at age twenty-nine, the wine is drinking splendidly well. The utterly classic bouquet jumps from the glass in a blend of dark berries, black plums, charred earth, espresso, herb tones, woodsmoke, dark soil and a discreet framing of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with excellent focus and grip, still a bit of backend tannin and lovely balance and complexity on the very long, very classy finish. A great vintage of Certan de May, the 1985 is drinking very well today, but will live for many decades. 94+

This is a flamboyant wine with a gaudy aromatic profile consisting of cedar wood smoke licorice jammy black fruits and Asian spices. In the mouth it is fleshy and meaty with a streak of roasted herbs running through the sweet jammy opulently-textured black fruits earth and oak. Low in acidity and voluptuous...