2019 Quinta do Nova
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Tasting notes
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.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 2019 Vintage Port is one that I tasted a few months earlier at Pichon-Baron, and so unsurprisingly, there are few changes except that I feel that the nose has closed up ever so slightly since then. The palate is still velvety smooth, richer and slightly sweeter than the 2020, enormous depth towards the finish with a hedonistic veneer on the finish. Interestingly, this has less residual sugar than the 2020, but slightly more acidity. Superb. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Sousão, Tinta Roriz. Grapes are trodden by foot, then they macerate in the lagares. It is matured for 18 months in wooden casks. RS 100 g/l. Black core with black-cherry rim. On the nose this manages to be both opulent and somehow secretive, hinting at a long future just in the aroma. On the palate, this has fabulous richness without excess weight, and a tannic structure that is built to last but not in the least aggressive, even in youth. Perfect balance between power, fruit and freshness. The texture is thick and velvety already, with just enough freshness for harmony. Deep-pile tannins, huge depth of dark hedgerow fruit and a dry, rocky finesse on the finish that undermines the sweetness. (JH)
Noval has released 2,780 cases, equivalent to 15% of production, of the 2019 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port. A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Sousão, Tinta Roriz, foot-trodden in lagares with 18 months in oak barrel. This is well defined on the nose, with dusky black fruit laced with graphite and clove. A serious rendition when compared directly with the more “playful” 2019 Passadouro; hints of liquorice, eucalyptus and boot polish emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with vivid red and black fruit, liquorice and black pepper, crisp acidity with a structured finish. This is a fresh, tensile Noval that will age with style.