“Warwick may live to be the best of all…” | 1985 Warwick Castle Listrac-Médoc!

The bottling of 1985 Warwick Castle Listrac-Médoc (sic) was done by Ulysse Cazabonne, founded in 1976. 

This negociant (merchant) was taken over by Chanel in 1994 and maintains offices in Margaux, next to Chanel-owned Château Rauzan-Ségla. 

The gold-black label of Warwick Castle 1985 is similar to the Margaux estates of Château Palmer (the label of which is actually very dark blue); Château Cantenac Brown; and Château d’Issan (which has crimson font). 

I was told that the then Earl of Warwick (David Greville, 8th Earl of Warwick, fourth creation) was “part-owner of a Bordeaux wine estate”, though I have not been able to discover what estate. 

There is another historic link between Bordeaux and the Earls of Warwick. 

John du Plessis, 7th Earl of Warwick (first creation), served as a de facto diplomat for King Henry III. 

The 7th Earl was at Bordeaux in August 1254 but he was ambushed in Poitou on his way back to England and not released until the following year. Ouch. 

Spoiler alert: I have plans for this bottle for the first Saturday of May 2024 🎂.

But we do have some other tasty 1985s for you…