Quinta do Noval - Extra Dry White
Quinta do Noval is a prestigious Port house founded in 1715, recognized as one of the few established directly in the heart of the Douro Valley in Portugal, rather than in Vila Nova de Gaia. The name of this iconic house comes from its main vineyard, Quinta do Noval, renowned for the exceptional quality of its wines. Its vines are mainly planted with the noble grape varieties characteristic of the Douro: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Cão. The grapes thrive on soils mixing schist and clay, where the significant presence of rocks increases the complexity and difficulty of the harvest, thus ensuring a rigorous and meticulous selection.
Since 1994, an important replanting program has been implemented, with each plot carefully adapted according to the specific characteristics of the soil, altitude, and exposure, thereby optimizing the quality of the clusters. A remarkable feature of the estate is the preservation of a small plot of ungrafted vines, which miraculously escaped the phylloxera disaster in the 19th century, bearing witness to a unique viticultural memory.
Since 1993, Christian Seely has been the general manager of Quinta do Noval. As the head of numerous European vineyards under the AXA Millésimes group, he brings sharp expertise and recognized know-how, supported by a prestigious portfolio including Château Pichon-Longueville, Château Pibran, as well as the Hungarian estate Disznókő.
Quinta do Noval Extra Dry White is a fine and elegant blend, composed mainly of indigenous white grape varieties from the Douro: Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato, and Códega. The fermentation is partially carried out with skin maceration, exclusively in stainless steel tanks, ensuring freshness and aromatic intensity. This wine results from a blend of vintages with an average age of two years, aged 90% in old wooden vats, bringing complexity and roundness, and 10% in stainless steel tanks, thus preserving liveliness and purity.
Grape varieties: Malvasia Fina, Gouveio, Rabigato, Códega, and other traditional white grape varieties from the Douro Valley