Quinta Do Noval, Vintage Port, 2018

Name: Quinta Do Noval, Vintage Port
Brand: Quinta Do Noval
Price: 356.3 GBP

Available Vintages

all 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019

justerini & brooks tasting note

Quinta do Noval is a single estate located in the heart of the Douro valley with 145HA under vine. The estate has a plethora of different altitudes, expositions and varietal make-up, terroirs from which they select the finest grapes to go in to their flagship Vintage Port. In 2018 just 1,600 cases have been produced, which equates to less than 7% of the total production. Christian Seely is rightly pleased with this supple, ripe and juicy Vintage Port, saying that “the grapes all ripened in perfect conditions. We could harvest a la carte and find the perfect blend.” A softer, more sumptuous Port than we’ve seen for a few years, the ‘18 is a wine with very attractive, silky, ripe, perfumed and exotic dark fruit, arriving after the denser, more classically-styled 2017. This is verily a drinkers Port that is already so charming and fruit-forward that it will be irresistible in just a few years’ time. Predominantly Touriga Nacional and Touriga Francesca (formerly known as Franca) with some Tinta Cao and Souson making up the final blend.

critic reviews

95/100Neal Martin,Vinous

The 2018 Vintage Port from Noval, picked from 5 September, has a really lovely bouquet with black plum and cassis fruit, still with that faint tincture of fireside hearth, concentrated and supremely well focused. This is the most "vinous" recent vintage insofar that it veers away from a fortified wine, perhaps with less VA than the 2017. The palate has a satin-like texture on the entry, a little spicier than the 2019, hints of black pepper, graphite, clove and allspice, very harmonious and poised on the graphite-tinged finish. Excellent. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.

DRINKING WINDOW 2030 - 2070

date of review 11/2022

95+/100Mark Squires,Robert Parker Wine Advocate

The 2018 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for 18 months in old wood vats. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar. This was bottled May 13, 2020. Simply gorgeous, this is aromatic, chock-full of flavor and wholly deliciousbut that's just the starting point. It has a serious backbone too, perfectly countered by the mid-palate depth. More than lovely, it might well be my favorite of the 2018s I've seen thus far, if I were forced to pick just one. It is surprisingly accessible, in a way, but that's because the mid-palate soaks up the power. It was certainly still vibrant days later. It should age well, but let's be just a little conservative now in evaluation and drinking windows.

DRINKING WINDOW 2027 - 2070

date of review 09/2020