Quinta do Noval : Vintage Nacional 1997

The refinement and complexity of a Vintage Port

The estate

Records dating back to 1715 already mention the name of Quinta do Noval. António José da Silva, a merchant in the port of Gaia in Porto, acquired Quinta do Noval in 1894, after it had been ravaged by phylloxera. His son-in-law, Luiz Vasconcelos Porto, later launched a major vineyard renovation programme. Most notably, he widened the narrow dry-stone terraces that shape the landscape of the Douro vineyards. Revolutionary at the time, this method allowed for a better use of space and sun exposure. Limewashed, these white terraces remain a distinctive feature and the pride of the Quinta do Noval vineyard, an iconic benchmark among great Portuguese wines.

The vineyard

This wine comes from an exceptional terroir where the combination of a remarkable soil and a microclimate provides ideal conditions for producing great Port wines. On the southern side of the Douro, in Portugal, the Quinta's 138 hectares of vines, aged between 30 and 40 years, grow on schist-influenced soils at altitudes ranging from 130 metres to 350 metres. The climate is dry and characterised by extreme peaks of cold and heat.

The wine

The “Nacional” plot at the heart of Quinta do Noval is home to ungrafted, phylloxera-resistant vines that embody the very soul of Portuguese terroir.

Winemaking and ageing

The grapes are foot-trodden to obtain the must, then macerated in lagares, the Quinta's traditional stone tanks, to ensure optimal extraction of aromas, colour and tannins during fermentation. This Vintage Port is aged for several months in wooden casks in the temperature-controlled cellars of Quinta do Noval before being bottled.

Blend

This Vintage Nacional 1997 from Quinta do Noval is made from a blend of local grape varieties (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Sousão, Tinta Roriz, etc.).