Copy of The Perfect Winter Red Delivers “Sensory Overload” while Recalling the Glories of 1945

The Perfect Winter Red and Baby Brother “Is this the Best Quinta do Noval Ever?” Revisting the 2017 Vintage That Recalls the Legendary and Hedonistic 1945 While Debuting the More Classic and Fresher 2019s from the Traditional Icon of the Region. In-Stock, Ready-To-Ship...

“Pure perfection in Port, the 2019 Vintage Port Nacional is riveting stuff in every sense, and I certainly can't imagine it being any better..” – Jeb Dunnuck

“I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses…. Is this [2017] the best Quinta do Noval ever?....” – Neal Martin, VInous

What if you combined Quintarelli Amarone Riserva, Dal Forno Amarone, with some Pauillac from Pichon Baron? You might just get today’s featured wine, the perfect winter red – the Quinta do Noval Vintage Port. 

About two to three times a decade, something special happens among the great Houses in the ancient, and steep terraces of Portugal’s prized Douro region, a vintage year for Port is fully declared. And you might say we are living in unprecedented times, as this is a special decade we just closed with four consecutive vintages declared between 2016 to 2019. Not since the 2011 vintage have we seen the Portuguese, British, and critics so excited about a region, and today we are sharing highlights from the hedonistic vintage of 2017, as well as the fresher and more balanced 2019s. With the benchmark 2017 vintage, we have producers and critics comparing the ripe year to the historic vintage of 1945. Well, in 2019 it is not about opulence or the richness of the year, it is a cooler, more classic year that can recall elements of 1896 or even “1963 — a legendary year that was always admired for its balance and strength.”  In fact, 2020 is another ripe vintage, and the fresher 2019s are simply a nice complement to the riper years.

For IWM, it doesn’t so much matter if it is 1945 or 1963, 2017 and 2019 are important years to do some Port shopping, as few wines age so brilliantly without the forbidding price tag. Certainly, one of the highlights of these vintages comes from the historic House of Quinta do Noval that has been producing fine port for 300+ years since 1715. And while many would be quick to answer with the rare, pre-phylloxera single plot port, Quinta do Noval Nacional, that often has collectors scouring the far reaches of the Earth and paying four-digit numbers, it is the single estate Port at available at a fraction of the price that demands attention and our high recommendation. We have to agree with Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate who best captured this Quinta do Noval sentiment years ago best stating, “regular Noval and the Nacional are not better than one another, just different. And at one-tenth of the price, the vintage Noval is well worth a look."

Today, IWM is presenting the refined and traditionally produced Quinta do Noval, where the Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinto Cão, Sousão grapes are still trodden by foot to obtain the must.  It is the 2019 Quinta do Noval and Nacional that are once again the wines of the vintage. We are including an additional highlight from the 2017 Port vintage at some of the BEST PRICING in the country. Enjoy this special declared year as it begins with a historic wine from a historic estate and historic expression in the making from Quinta do Noval!

FEATURED: The Old-School & Classic Foot Trodden Ports of Quinta do Noval

ADDITIONAL NOTES AND REVIEWS:

2019 QUINTA DO NOVAL VINTAGE PORT

Christopher Deas, Italian Wine Merchants: “Here is a fun one we did with seared duck and some good after dinner conversation, no need to wait for Winter. Yes, it is best with more age, but you can cheat here, throw this wine in the decanted and watch it open with more softness, and become more lush and plush – even creamy. Really integrates nicely with air time. This is all about cassis, plum, dried black cherries, fig, black licorice, dark chocolate, brown spice, mint, tobacco, crushed flowers, chalk, even a graphite note here. Yes, Dal Forno and even Quintarelli fans will appreciate this, but for me this is Port for the Bordeaux drinker. “

Jeb Dunnuck: “Coming from a cooler vintage, the 2019 Vintage Port is nevertheless powerful, full-bodied, and concentrated, with lots of structure and density giving it a tight, backward, yet incredibly impressive feel. It's actually more concentrated than the 2018, with a touch more baby fat as well, yet has a similar level of complexity. Red and black plums, cassis, iron, chalky minerality, chocolate, black olive, and licorice are just some of its nuances, and unlike the 2018, which showed even better with air, this closed up rather quickly and was more enjoyable on Day One than Day Three. Nevertheless, this is magical stuff that just needs a solid decade of bottle age. As with the 2018, it spent 18 months in old wood tanks and was bottled with around 100 grams of residual sugar.”

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate: “The 2019 Vintage Port is a field blend aged for 18 months in old wood vats. It was bottled May 4, 2021, and has 100 grams of residual sugar. It was in bottle only a bit more than two months when tasted, but it seems quite brilliant, even so. Very concentrated, it adds controlled power and coats the palate. Tasted with some other 2019s, this certainly stood out for both concentration and power. It touches all the bases in terms of expressive fruit and structure, finishing dry and seriously. It seemed balanced enough to drink young, but that would be a mistake. For one thing, it steadily tightened as it aired out. It also increasingly showed gorgeous eucalyptus-laced aromatics. Two days later, it was notably more astringent. Four days later, it was very firm on the finish and better overall. In fact, that was a far better showing than on day one. This is plainly built for the long haul. I would expect nothing less from a fine Noval Vintage Port. It became more focused and precise as well. This needs the rest of this decade, at least, in the cellar to show better. Then it will develop well for decades and hold indefinitely. Frankly, it won't show everything it has in even 10 years, where I have the "start drinking" window, so if you have a lot more patience, that would be useful. It will be more interesting around 2035-2040. This is a powerful beauty, well justifying Noval's tendency to declare most every year.”

2017 QUINTA DO NOVAL VINTAGE PORT

Neal Martin, Vinous: “The 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval 

with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta

do Noval ever?

Jeb Dunnuck: “The straight 2017 Vintage Port is stunning stuff. It packs serious power and richness while staying beautifully polished and, dare I say, elegant. Notes of crème de cassis and liquid blackberries define the attack, but it offers an incredibly layered, nuanced, complex style in its notes of herbes de Provence, violets, spicy wood, licorice, and Asian spice aromas and flavors. While it’s no doubt a full-bodied Port, it stands out just as much for its incredible polish, balance, and purity. This a brilliant effort is more approachable than the Nacional bottling yet is nevertheless going to evolve for 50-60 years or more on its flawless balance.”