Quinta do Noval - 20 Year Old Tawny Port
Quinta do Noval is a Port House established in 1715, and one of the few to be located in the heart of the Douro Valley, instead of Villa Nova de Gaia, Portugal. It takes its name from its most famous vineyard, in this case Quinta do Noval. The majority of the vineyards in the quinta are planted with noble Douro grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao. The grapes are grown on a mixture of schist and clay soils, but the presence of rocks around the vines makes the harvest difficult for the winegrowers. Large-scale replanting of the vineyards was undertaken in 1994, and each plot was planted with a variety that best suited the soil, altitude and exposure. In the heart of the Quinta do Noval vineyard is a small plot of ungrafted vines that were lucky enough to avoid the devastation of phylloxera in the 19th century. Since 1993, the Managing Director has been Christian Seely who is also in charge of numerous vineyards in Europe, within the AXA Millesimes group. This investment group also owns estates such as Château Pichon-Longueville, Château Pibran as well as Disznókő in Hungary.
This 20-year-old Noval Tawny is vinified traditionally: the grapes are trampled underfoot to obtain the must, before macerating in the lagares (the traditional stone vats of the Quinta) to ensure the best possible extraction during fermentation. It is the result of a blend of old Ports from different vintages, with an average age of 20 years, and made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cao, Sousao and Tinta Roriz, aged in oak barrels.
Grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cao, Sousao, Tinta Roriz
