Quinta do Noval - Porto Tawny 20 Years Old
Quinta do Noval is a prestigious Porto house founded in 1715, and one of the few located in the heart of the Douro Valley, unlike most houses established in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. This appellation takes its name from its emblematic vineyard, Quinta do Noval. Most vineyards are planted with the noble and traditional Douro grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cao. The grapes thrive on a unique terroir, composed of a mix of schist and clay soils, characteristic of the Douro, with the particularity of many exposed rocks that make harvesting especially demanding for the winemakers. Since 1994, a careful replanting has been carried out to adapt each plot to the most representative grape variety, taking into account the soil, altitude, and sun exposure. An exceptional feature lies in a small plot at the heart of the vineyard, where ungrafted vines miraculously escaped the phylloxera disaster in the 19th century. Since 1993, general management has been overseen by Christian Seely, also responsible for several European vineyards within the AXA Millésimes group, owner of renowned estates such as Château Pichon-Longueville, Château Pibran, and Disznókő in Hungary.
This Porto Noval Tawny 20 years is made according to traditional methods: the grapes are foot-trodden to extract an exceptional must, then macerated in lagares — the typical stone vats of the Quinta — to optimize the extraction of aromas and tannins during fermentation. It is a unique blend of old Ports from several vintages, with an average age of 20 years. This exceptional wine is produced from carefully selected grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cao, Sousao, and Tinta Roriz, and is aged for a long time in French oak barrels to reveal all its complexity and balance.
Grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cao, Sousao, Tinta Roriz
