Quinta Do Noval - Late Bottled Vintage Port 2016
- Producer Quinta Do Noval
- Country Portugal
- UPC 8 95991 00205 4
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Item# 97013G-16
James Suckling
98pt
Wine Spectator
98pt
Vintage
"The 2012 Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port is another fine Noval LBV, traditionally styled and bottled in June 2017 with a long cork. Noval is one of the region's finest and most consistent producers of traditional LBVs, wines that become more expressive and can develop with age. This is a little on the lighter side—that's the vintage, perhaps—but still respectably concentrated. It has fine, expressive fruit and the elegant styling for which Noval is known. This should drink well on release and hold well for a couple of decades (yes, traditional LBVs age well and develop).
It will be released sometime in late 2017."
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 single Quinta do Noval vineyard. And it is difficult to discuss Noval with mentioning Nacional, 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.
Vinification
Grapes were trodden by foot and fermented in the lagares at Quinta do Noval. The wine matures for at least 5 years in oak casks instead of 2 years for a Classic Vintage. This explains its name, "Late Bottled Vintage". Longer maturing in casks helps provide a smoother wine and gives it its very
approachable style, ready to drink as soon as it is bottled.
Wine
Quinta do Noval's LBV is a serious glass of port, one that truly behaves like an approachable vintage port. It is a port of only one harvest, produced in quality years that allow the development of full body, aroma and palate. It is produced entirely from grapes grown at the estate, a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão. Being unfiltered, it is delicious to drink today, but will also age
beautifully for a few years in the bottle.