Critics Ratings

‘The 1985 Barolo Monfortino possesses a deep ruby color, and a saturated bouquet of saddle leather, spices, smoked meats, herbs, and truffles. This rich, ferociously tannic, massive, backward, nearly impenetrable wine should be cellared for 8-10 years. Drink it between 2001-2025. It is a superb Monfortino. Those of you who love wine loaded with lavish new oak, sweet, crunchy fruit, and squeaky clean, simple flavors should be sure to taste this wine before you decide to buy. Though a fabulous wine, it is not for everybody.’ – Robert Parker Jr, Wine Advocate, 96/100 (Apr 1994)

‘The 1985 Barolo Monfortino captures all of the radiance of this warm vintage in its creamy, open-knit personality. An unusually succulent plush Mortofino, the 1985 is an undeniably racy, alluring wine. Licorice, sweet pipe tobacco, mocha, leather and cedar are all laced into a core of intense dark-toned fruit. The 1985 is not the most intellectual wine in this tasting, but it is among the most thrilling.’ – Antonio Galloni, Vinous, 98+/100 (Jan 2020)

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.