The Wall Street Journal’s longtime wine columnist, Lettie Teague, published an interesting article about tawny Ports, recommending Quinta do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port as one of the best examples at this age category. Teague became curious about “how reliable a measure of quality age actually is” after coming across findings from the University of Groningen Centre for Isotope Research that revealed that some tawny Ports were not as old as their labels stated.
The piece delves into details about the different types and aging parameters of Port produced, such as a 10 year versus 20 year tawny, before zeroing in on this supposed discrepancy with 10 year tawny Port labels.
Teague spoke with Quinta do Noval CEO Christian Seely about this news, who explained that “the wines are certified by the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto, I.P. on the basis of the character and quality,” and not merely on their numerical age. “I think this is right,” he added. “Just because a wine might have a mathematical average age of over 10 years old, it would not be certified if the quality was not good enough.” Other industry luminaries shared similar feedback.
Founded in 1715, Quinta do Noval is one of the oldest Port producers around today. Teague says the “wonderfully aromatic” Quinta do Noval 10 Year Old Tawny Port is “marked by notes of licorice and spice is made from a blend of wines that are over a decade old. This wine offers the perfect balance of mellow(oak) and bright (fruit).” Read the full story HERE
Related Wines
Quinta do Noval
Quinta do Noval Tawny 10 Year Old Port NV
Douro Valley, Portugal
Noval 10 year old Tawny is a blend of old Ports from different vintages that have matured in oak casks, with an average age of 10 years. It's a perfect expression of the Noval Tawny style. It has acquired the classical attributes of an old Tawny Port, while at the same time retaining much of the freshness and fruit of its youth.
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.
