January was very cold, with 16 days of subzero temperatures, falling as low as –20°C. There was also a week of heavy snow, but despite the poor weather the vines suffered relatively little damage.

The winter continued with temperatures closer to the seasonal average, though there was another very cold week during February. The vegetation cycle began with milder weather in March, and after mild and wet weather in April and May, flowering took place in June.

Fine weather arrived in July, despite some storms, followed by drought in August (there were only two days of rain during the month). With an exceptional amount of sunshine, 1985 was the driest year on record.

Mid-veraison occurred on 16 August for the three red grape varieties, with the prospect of a high-quality crop: the vines did not seem to have suffered too much from the drought and the grapes were of normal size, though a little sunburn was noted in certain parcels. The fine weather continued, ensuring easy conditions for picking and very high-quality grapes.