Don’t you just love eccentric declarations? We’re talking Vintage Port here. It used to be so solemn and predictable: three declarations a decade, from the very best years, agreed in a gentlemanly fashion over a long lunch at the Factory House (or, at least, that’s how it seems from the outside). Now Quinta do Noval have gone and done the unthinkable. Three declarations in a row for the first time ever.

This time, it’s the 2013 (read about the 2012 here). It was looking very good, but there was some harvest rain. Some of the plots at Noval were picked before the rain, and they were very much in the Noval style, so Christian Seely was happy to release 1200 cases, which is a small proportion of what could have been released, because it met with his quality and style threshold. And it’s a very fine Vintage Port indeed, and will age gracefully into an elegant maturity.

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2013 Douro, Portugal
Sweet, intense blackberry and cherry nose is quite floral with some raspberry jam notes. The palate is really pretty and elegant with firm tannins under the bright cherry and berry fruit. It is more red fruits than black, and it has a fine spiciness. Fresh, showing great potential. An elegant, Burgundian expression of Port. 94/100

Find this wine with wine-searcher.com