Quinta do Noval Colheita 2007

Quinta do Noval 2007 ****/*****

This wine was served at the conclusion of a tasting of Noval’s wonderful 2017/2018 Douro wines (see Portuguese Notes). The year, declared as a vintage by most shippers including Noval, was relatively cool in the Douro. A wet winter was followed by a mild spring and summer with cool summer nights. There was rain towards the end of September but the harvest took place in perfect conditions. Fermentations were slower than usual and easy to control and the wines are characterised by their definition, balance and purity of fruit. 

In order to qualify as a Colheita Port, a wine must spend at least seven years in wood. This wine spent a total of 13 years in wood before bottling taking on some of the oxiditive character of an aged tawny. Mid-deep and still quite youthful in colour with a lovely orange-tawny glint; quite forthcoming on the nose with a complex creamy-floral character along with a touch of malt and spice; soft and sublime on the palate, sweet but a touch savoury too (toasted almonds), piqued with peppery tannins and leading to a long, beautifully lithe finish, reflecting both the terroir and the year. This is ‘paradise now’ and (unlike a vintage Port) can be drunk over a number of weeks after opening if kept in the fridge. Serve cellar cool rather than cold in order to appreciate the subtlety of the wine.  18.5