Quinta do Noval - Vintage Nacional 2022
Quinta do Noval is a house in Porto established in 1715, and one of the only ones 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, Quinta do Noval. The majority of the quinta's vineyards are planted with noble Douro grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Cao. The grapes are grown on a mix of shale and clay soils, but the presence of rocks around the vines makes harvesting difficult for winegrowers. A 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. At the heart of the Quinta do Noval vineyard is a small plot of ungrafted vines that were fortunate to avoid the devastation of phylloxera in the 19th century. Since 1993, the general 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.
Nacional Vintage is produced from several grape varieties and not just from Touriga Nacional as its name might suggest. These grape varieties are among the noblest in the Douro Valley: Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Touriga Nacional, Sousão and Tinta Roriz . The grapes are crushed by foot to obtain the must, then during fermentation, in the lagares, traditional stone vats of the Quinta. The Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage is aged for 18 months in an old oak barrel with a capacity of 2500 liters.
Grape varieties: Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Roriz
