2016 Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port, Quinta do Noval, Port, Portugal
OVERVIEW
From one of the finest Port producers, the LBV bottling is a typical example of the Quinta do Noval style. This port is treated exactly like a Vintage Port with only noble grape varieties from the Quinta, trodden by foot and unfiltered. Its main difference is that it is aged for five years in casks instead of the two years typical of Vintage Ports.
This 2016 bottling is a delicious, rich and complex with gorgeous notes of blackberry and blackcurrant fruits and hints of spice as well. A minty freshness and dark chocolate add to the mix. This concentrated wine presents a broad, rounded texture that leads to a long aftertaste.
CRITIC REVIEWS
Noval's LBV is a serious wine, for drinking or extended cellaring, coming from a single vineyard. The fact that it is unfiltered means it will throw a sediment and may need decanting at some point, but that also increases its capacity to age. A sumptuous nose of liquidised blackcurrants and ripe black cherries shows plenty of chocolaty depth, and high quality spirit gives warmth without any alcoholic burn. In the mouth it is utterly delicious, with copious sweetness, a dry and firm tannin and acid framework that adds some rigour and length, and beautiful balance into a very long finish. 92 Points. Tom Cannavan
Deep, dark crimson. You can really see the effect of a lack of filtration here. Heady, a little sharp, with lots of very ripe fruit and it's really still quite raw and youthful. Lots of tannin. Luscious mulberry fruit but still unformed. 16.5++ Points. Jancis Robinson
FOOD PAIRING INSPIRATION
This port will pair supremely well with the local goat's cheese, dark chocolate truffles and of course, Stilton.
VINTAGE AND WINEMAKING
The grapes were trodden by foot in the "lagares", the traditional stone vats from the Quinta, to obtain the must. Then they are macerated during fermentation to obtain the best possible extraction of the polyphenolic compounds. Fermentation lasted 3 days.
2016 was a year of extremes: a warm winter with high rainfall, at 618 mm twice as much as in an average year. After a wet spring, summer was very hot and dry, with some peaks of heat in August and September. By the end of August, the harvest looked extremely good, in excellent sanitary condition, but ripening began to slow down due to the very hot and dry conditions.
Fortunately 17 mm of much needed rain fell on 13th September, and maturation continued in ideal conditions from this point onwards. The main part of the harvest began on 19th September in dry and sunny weather, and the fruit continued to ripen throughout the harvest period. We were able to harvest each plot in ideal conditions as ripening continued.
In spite of the unusual and extreme climatic conditions of the year, the end result is of an excellent quality. The Port wines are exceptional, with excellent structure, very intense bright fruit, and aromatically very expressive.
PRODUCER NOTES
A bodega producing Port since 1715. António José da Silva, a port shipper from Porto, acquired Quinta do Noval in 1894, after its devastation by phylloxera. He restored the property by replanting the vines.
Luiz Vasconcelos Porto, his son-in-law, was the author of a vast programme of innovations. He transformed many of the narrow older terraces into broader terraces. This permitted a more efficient use of the land and a better exposition to the sun.
Quinta do Noval made its name with the declaration of the 1931 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port, and the 1931 Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port. Because of the global depression and the enormous production and shipment of the 1927 Vintage, most shippers did not declare the 1931. This success established Quinta do Noval among the great names of Vintage Port in the English and American markets, a leading position in terms of reputation which is maintained today.
Since 1993, Quinta do Noval is part of the international viticultural group of AXA Millésimes.
A new bottling line and warehouse was completed in 1997 in Alijo, near Pinhão. This project made Quinta do Noval the first of the traditional Port shippers to centralise all its activities in the Douro Valley.
In the 90's, around a hundred hectares of the domaine have been replanted, adapting pruning methods to suit each parcel. Today, we have high quality grapes which on one hand assure the excellence of Quinta do Noval Ports and on the other hand the production of Douro wines since the 2004 vintage.
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SERVICE AND STORAGE TIPS
The port will not improve over time and is made to be enjoyed today. However, it can be held unopened for decades.
This wine should be served at room temperature.
DELIVERY INFORMATION
Delivery is free when you spend over £150. For orders under this amount then a £9.99 delivery charge will be applied.
We use a tracked DPD delivery service who provide text and email tracking updates.
Every bottle sold by CoolerSomm is subject to our quality guarantee. If a wine is corked or faulty, we will replace it.
2016 Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port, Quinta do Noval, Port, Portugal
| Wine Card | |
| Wine Producer | Quinta do Noval |
| Wine Region | Port |
| Wine Classification | Port |
| Wine Type | Fortified |
| Grape Variety | Touriga Nacional |
| Vintage | 2016 |
| Vintage Quality | Outstanding - Parker |
| Maturity | Drinking Now |
| Body | Full Bodied |
| Sweetness | Sweet |
| Alcohol % | 19.5% |
| Bottle Type | Port 75cl |
| Serving Temperature | 16-18°C |
| Food Pairing | Stilton, Desserts, Goats Cheese |
| Awards | 92 Points - Robert Parker |
| 16.5++ Jancis Robinson |
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