Had a 85 guigal hermitage. Quite good on night 1 but fell apart next day. I would decant an hour. But 2025. That’s a long ways away still! 
I know. That’s why I’m asking the internet! ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
(Did I use that gif right?) 
The ‘85 LLC is great but I didn’t suggest it based on your budget. Keep poking around and you might see some deals. I snagged some ‘85 Lagrange just last year for $45.
One trick I play on myself is to aim at an average price rather than focus on an absolute max. Your, say, $1800, budget could easily fit a couple LLCs as long as you also get some lower priced wines.
I don’t know the price, but I had a 1985 Leoville las Cases about a year ago that was simply great.
In California Cabernet, Ridge Monte Bello and Chateau Montelena made great wines.
1985 is a great vintage in red Burgundy. Most are going to be hard to find, but I had an Albert Morot Beaune Bressandes last fall that was truly fabulous and would be well within your price range.
Don’t let the suggestion above of a nice bottle of ‘85 champagne drop off the radar. Even plain ol’ Dom Perignon is very good. But here storage is very important.
Re: the Olga Raffault Chinon Picasses suggestion there have been a lot of library releases from the cellar so you may be able to get a bottle or even a magnum that hasn’t been circulating for 30 years at this point.
‘85 La Lagune is very reasonable and very good. Again you might be able to source a magnum that doesn’t break the bank. And auction 750s are still in the $55-65 range.
‘85 Leoville Poyferre is gorgeous but I think prices have escalated on older bottles since the house went spoofy.
As another 1985er, I’ve been spoiled by a lot of Bordeaux. Gruaud Larose and Canon are two excellent wines in that price range. I’ve also enjoyed Certan de May, Haut Bailly, and Magdelaine.
I’ll second the Loire praise - look for Huet’s Moelleux (the Demi-Secs are also good, though I find them a touch more dry/sharp than I usually like), and I’ve also had some very good reds from Raffault and Breton.
If you’re a Rhone guy, look for Vieux Telegraphe - might not be something to last until your 40th, but a couple of bottles were awesome 2-3 years ago.
Only obvious omission in this thread is '85 La Chapelle. Might be tough to find via retail near that price, but via auction is possible. Some great bottles still out there. Good until 2025 & beyond.
Many thanks for all the tips/suggestions. I’m definitely going to start looking into the '85 Bordeaux!
Too bad, on BDlX a perfectly stored 1985 Dunn Howell Mtn. sold very reasonably, I suggest looking for one.
I’ve found a disappointing amount of bottle variation in the '85 Dunn Howell Mountain. I bought a case of 750s, 2 mags and a 5L directly from Dunn on release, and I’ve probably poured more than half down the sink. The bottles didn’t taste clean, with dominating flavors of pine resin and turpentine.
In general, I think expecting a 1985 CA Cab to go 40 years is a tremendous gamble. I’ve had a couple that I’d feel pretty confident about, such as the Monte Bello and Heitz Martha’s Vineyard (and good luck finding properly stored bottles of them within your budget), but others that you’d expect to last, such as the Montelena and Phelps Eisele, seem to be on the downhill slope already.
There’s plenty of notes on various 85s here, such as this one: TNs: A very Berserker 30th birthday - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Many good recs for the vintage above.
One should not forget Hermitage La Chapelle 1985 - still a great wine, and will be in 8 years …
Other Northern Rhones (Chave, Guigal, Gentaz-Dervieux, Rostaing, Clape) are also fine, but hard to find and pay …
Also in CdP most producers with a “name” made fine wines, and (even if some may say the opposite) are still going strong - Pegau might be absolutely TOP (but impossible to find), the same for Rayas, Bonneau, but Clos de Papes, Vieux Telegraph, Versino(Bois de Boursan) … are great, if anwhere available …
Bordeaux: I would either stick to the right bank (L´Evangile, Conseillante, L´Eglise-Clinet, Certan de May …) or to some Graves and well selected Medocs like Margaux (!), Leoville Las Cases (!) (and -Barton, Poyferré), Lynch-Bages, Cos, Gruaud-L and Talbot … avoiding Lafite, Latour and (imho) Pichon Lalande - the latter too vegetal and herbaceous for my taste … Mouton is good, but expensive …
Piemonte is also excellent …
Not an omission. It’s a great wine, as are a lot of '85 N. Rhones (Chave Hermitage is excellent), but Brent did mention a cost ceiling around $200.
You’re not going to find La Chapelle or most of the others that Gerhard mentioned (certainly not Gentaz or Clape ) in that range.
I restocked '85 La Chapelle 2 weeks ago for slightly above 100 € (worn label, great fill) …
fwiw
(I said that Gentaz or Clape are to expensive …)
I’ll chime in to agree the 85 Ports are great values.
It’s my wife’s birth year as well.
In no particular order and off the top of my head, these are some of the highlights:
Cristal
Fonseca
Quinta do Noval
Leoville Barton
Couly-Duthiel Chinon Clos de l’Echo
Baumard Quarts de Chaume
Envoyer had a few bottles this summer for $125. Ordered one but have not received it yet.
Groth Cabernet Sauvignon. I never had the 100 Point Reserve but had many of the regular bottling. I thought it was fantastic for at least 20 years.
I love 1985 Graham. Always a pleasure to drink.
Many thanks for the recommendations of '85ers. Having examined the data with the greatest care (lolz jk) it seems that the consensus is “classified bordeaux, in mags if possible.” Lots of love for '85 port, too. THAT was not even close to being on my radar, so will definitely keep my eye out for those.
True, certainly, that 85 was a very good year for port. However, many do not go for them because of the sugar and high alcohol.