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Quinta Do Noval - Colheita 1995
Estate
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 its ports are made from estate-grown fruit and, notably, all of the
vintage Noval wines are from the sin gle Quinta do Noval vineyard. And it is difficult to discuss Noval with mentioning Nacio nal, the legendary vintage port made from a 6 acre parcel of ungrafted vines, and the most collectible and sought after port in the world. In the early 1990s, Noval changed ownership for only the second time in its three-hundred year history and began a massive program of improvements while re-committing to the traditional, and best, methods of port production.
Tasting notes
The Colheita 1997 has a complex nose combining nuttiness with fresh fruit still present. Rich and succulent, it has a silky texture with exotic flavours on the palate and a lingering finish.
Vintage
In 1997 the winter started cold and snow covered the entire Quinta for a few days. February and March were very hot and dry, reaching 29 Celsius and thus causing an advance of 15 days in which budbreak was less than average. Flowering was one month earlier than in 1996, with temperatures always above 20 degrees and virtu.ally no rain, perfect conditions for a good fruit set. The lack of water in the soil was compensated by the rains in April, May and by mild early summer temperatures reaching normal levels by the end of June.
Vinification
The wines spend their entire lives in old oak barrels until the moment of bottling, which takes place only when an order is received. Maturation took place in August and Septem ber in perfect conditions with very hot days and cool nights, the latter a particular feature of this year, resulting in wonderful freshness and balance in the wines.
Wine
The Colheitas at Noval are true rarities, all from 100% estate grown grapes, which were trodden by foot and fermented in the lagares at the Quinta. These single-vintage tawnies are available in small quantities in the Douro to begin with; Colheitas from 100% estate-grown fruit are nearly unheard of, and extraordinarily special wines.
