Decanter’s latest article offers a Port 2016 vintage report and a list of top releases featuring Quinta do Noval’s Vintage Port 2016 and Vintage Nacional 2016.
Quinta do Noval Vintage 2016 (97 points):
“Dense but opening up on the nose to reveal dark chocolate intensity and a delicate leafy edge. Ripe and initially minty on the palate with lovely purity of fruit and great definition: sweet cassis with broad, ripe, grippy tannins rising in the mouth. Not as big or immediately impressive as some wines from this vintage but showing great balance and poise from start to finish. A wine for the long term. Production of 6,000 cases.”
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage 2016 (99 points):
“Tiny yields from these legendary ungrafted vines with a total production in 2016 of just 170 cases. Closed and dense initially but showing liquorice-like super ripeness as the wine opens up. A hint of dark chocolate intensity on the palate with layers of ripe fruit and fine-grained tannins that reach all the way through to a linear tannic finish. This is a wonderful wine – as rare as hen’s teeth and a privilege to taste at this stage. Drinking Window 2035 – 2055.”
Ready the full article here.
Related Producers
Quinta do Noval
Douro Valley, Portugal
One of the oldest port houses, Quinta do Noval is also arguably the greatest. It is unique among top port houses in that most of the ports are made from estate-grown fruit and, notably, all of the vintage Noval wines are from the single Quinta do Noval vineyard.
