1985 Cockburn

[jdaw1]

Part of the large vertical of Cockburn which was held in The Crusting Pipe on Wednesday 8th October 2008. Links:

• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 189? Unknown, thought to be Taylor;
• 1908 Cockburn;
• 1912 Cockburn;
• 1924 Unknown;
• 1927 Cockburn;
• 1935 Cockburn (served to left side of table);
• 1935 Cockburn (served to right side of table);
• 1947 Cockburn;
• 1950 Cockburn;
• 1955 Cockburn;
• 1960 Cockburn;
• 1963 Cockburn;
• 1967 Cockburn;
• 1970 Cockburn;
• 1975 Cockburn;
• 1977 Cockburn (unofficial bottling);
• 1983 Cockburn;
• 1985 Cockburn;
• 1991 Cockburn;
• 1994 Cockburn;
• 1997 Cockburn;
• 2000 Cockburn;
• 2003 Cockburn;
• 2007 Cockburn cask sample (Touriga Nacional);
• 2007 Cockburn cask sample (Touriga Franca);
• Planning and arrangements;
• Placemats.

[jdaw1]

[jdaw1]

[jdaw1]

[Michael M.]

What a daunting line-up!

Julian, I would be interested in yours and in the other participants opinion of the 1985 Cockburn. There is an opportunity for 50 EUR. I already saw your TN from 27.06.07 but I wondered if you liked it .

Michael

[jdaw1]

1985 Cockburn: Lovely full red, though a touch paler than ideal. Nosing of VA, though less so than the ’91. To taste acidic and light, though of reasonable length. I hope that this was a bad bottle — but have never had a well-drinking bottle C85. Avoid.

[DRT]

My note says "Dark red. VA. Don't like"

[Alex Bridgeman]

Nice mid-red colour, clear centre and pale rim. Nose swamped by VA. Elegant in the mouth, the VA shows through but there is plenty of fruit around some tannins. Not much complexity in the mouth and the aftertaste is dominated by the heat from the alcohol. Pity - without the VA this would have been lovely. Not rated.

[jdaw1]

Miguel Côrte-Real sent AHB some of his own notes on the various vintages, some obviously drafted in advance, some from the day itself.

1985

Generic Information
1985 was declared by all the main shippers and Martinez

Year/Viticulture
The 1984/5 Winter was one of the wettest (and coldest) on record. The summer was long and extremely hot.

Other
Great bottle variability with a high degree of volatile acidity in a high percentage of bottles and houses. (From recent tastings, Cockburn's, Niepoort, Churchill, Sandeman, Ramos Pinto and Calém appear to be experiencing varying degrees of high volatile acidity.)

MC-R notes
Just turning, but too high VA. 6.5/10