Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2016 Douro, Portugal
19.5% alcohol. There’s been a lot of talking up of the 2016 vintage in the Douro, so I was pleased to try this, the 2016 release from one of the top Port producers, Quinta do Noval. It comes across as a fresh, well-defined style of Vintage Port with lovely pure, floral fruit: Black cherries, fine herbs and some blackberry richness. Good structure, but not too much: this is surprisingly approachable for a young wine of this stature, but I think it is because there are considerable tannins, but they are hidden behind the luscious, intense, sweet fruit. Delicious and primary, and should age into a mellow maturity with 15-20 years in bottle. It’s more of an elegant style than a blockbuster. On day 2, this has picked up some weight, and seems next level, with concentration allied to finesse. There’s a lot going on here. 95/100

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