Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port 2004

  • 91 Robert
    Parker
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Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port 2004 Front Label
Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered Port 2004 Front Label

Product Details


Varietal

Region

Producer

Vintage
2004

Size
750ML

ABV
19.5%

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Winemaker Notes

Professional Ratings

  • 91

    The 2004 Unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage Port is a blend (changing from the earlier formula) of 40% Touriga Nacional and 20% each of Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao, aged in used Portuguese wooden vats. Bottled in 2009, it comes in at 80.7 grams per liter of residual sugar. When last seen over five years back, this library wine was lovely. It is as good or better today, another testament to the benefit of aging fine, traditional LBVs. The tannins are modest at this point, that tightly wound demeanor having become more harmonious, but the concentration of fruit is what makes it special. It's always elegant, yet there is understated richness. There is plenty of life left. It shows no decay at all, although it seemed more mature and complex the next day. About the only quibble is that, after a couple of days open, it did thin out faster than it did when young. Best After 2022

Quinta do Noval

Quinta do Noval

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Quinta do Noval, Portugal
Quinta do Noval Quinta do Noval Winery Image

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 the ports are made from estate-grown fruit and, notably, all of the vintage Noval wines are from the single Quinta do Noval vineyard. In addition, it is difficult to elaborate on Quinta do Noval without mentioning Nacional, the legendary port made from a 6 acre parcel of ungrafted vines. When declared, only 200-300 cases of Nacional will be made, and instantly become the most sought after port in the world. Many vintages of Nacional are considered as the finest ports, and some of the finest wines, ever made.

Noval is mentioned in land registries going back to 1715, and has been sold just twice in that time, once in the late 19th century, and to its present owners in 1993. Noval has, however, a reputation for being an innovative, independent producer. Noval’s focus on its vineyard and estate ports distinguishes it, but there are numerous other areas in which it has been a pioneer:

  • Noval was the first to introduce stencilled bottles in the 1920s.
  • Noval pioneered the concept of Old Tawnies with an indication of age.
  • In 1958, Noval was the first to introduce a late-bottled vintage (LBV).

The astonishing terraced vineyards of Noval, perched above the Douro and Pinhao rivers, are an infertile schist, and not soil as much as sheer rock. The elevation of the vineyards goes from just above river level to 1,200 feet, with density at about 2,000 vines per acre, and vines producing on average 30-35 hectoliters per hectare. The tremendous rewards of the work done at the estate over the last fifteen years are visible across the range of Noval ports, and have placed Noval a step ahead of everyone in the Douro.

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Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.

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The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.

While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.

White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.

With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.

ZZZREFPRODUCT257229 Item# 257229

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