Noval 2023 Vintage Ports (and a few older wines)
Quinta do Noval haven’t missed declaring a vintage for well over a decade. This is partly a reflection of a decade with some outstanding harvests but also Noval’s tendency to behave more like a Bordeaux château than a traditional Port shipper. The estate belongs to the French but is managed with flair by Englishman Christian Seely and a Portuguese technical director, Carlos Agrellos. Both came to London recently to present their new releases.
The 2023 growing season marked a welcome break from the two hot, dry years that preceded it. A wet winter in 2022/23 helped to replenish the water table and a warm spring led to plenty of early season vigour in the vineyards. Flowering was early but heavy rain in late May/early June caused mildew problems. The summer was mild rather than hot (though there was a spike of extreme heat towards the end of August) and the harvest was early. But then rain fell on-and-off throughout September making this something of a stop-start vintage for conscientious growers like Noval who picked in between days of rain. By 20th September - a date when the harvest would just be starting back in the 1990s - all the top-quality grapes at Noval were in and they were happy with the results.
Christian Seely reports that homogenous ripening resulted in ripe, healthy lagares with clean aromatic expression, phenolic balance and ideal freshness. The results were excellent for several parcels of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Sousão. The (ungrafted) Nacional and other old field blend parcels were exceptional.
I tasted the following wines on 12th May 2025 in the order they are presented and they certainly justify the declaration (although there is growing excitement as to what 2024 will bring in a year’s time).
Quinta do Passadouro 2023 Vintage Port ****
A blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Sousão, Tinta Francisca and a field blend from a number of plots within this property near Vale de Mendiz, deep in the Pinhão valley, slightly drier in style than Noval with 87g/l residual sugar: deep in colour as you would expect for a youthful wine with a lovely open, aromatic character showing menthol and well-defined slightly exotic fruit; classic on the palate with lovely soft berry fruit, again pure and well -defined, backed by firm peppery tannins and a charming finish. Not big but overall a very ‘pretty’ wine, to drink quite early but with the capacity to last. ‘Very typically Vale de Mendiz’ in the words of Carlos Agrellos and I know just what he means. Just 555 cases in total. 17.5
Quinta do Noval 2023 Vintage Port ****/*****
A blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca (Noval still call it ‘Francesa’), Tinto Cão, Sousão and field blend: deep in colour, ripe and dense on the nose with underlying firm, defined fruit; similarly ripe and multi-layered on the palate, fleshy mid-palate with supple yet firm spicy, tannins, lovely length showing both ripeness and purity of fruit. This is a well- structured wine, destined for a long life. Broach in 15 years or so. 2,230 cases declared. 18.5
Quinta do Noval Nacional 2023 *****
From the legendary plot of ungrafted vines at the heart of the Noval estate: deep, hugely ripe and intense on the nose, still sullen and withdrawn but some hot country fruit underlying; very dense and rich in style (99g/l residual sugar), the hot country fruit does not show up on the palate which is pure and well defined, rich fruit supported by substantial tannic structure, big and bold with solid tannins rising to a peacock’s tail of a finish. Just 140 cases in total. 19.5
After lunch following the tasting I had great pleasure in drinking the following and these are my brief scribbled notes (which I can only just read):
Quinta do Noval 2007 Colheita
Beautifully lifted on the nose, still deep yet soft and gorgeous, smooth and silky mid-palate but still peppered by tannins on the finish. Exquisite colheita
Quinta do Noval 2000 Vintage Port
Still deep in colour, looking youthful and still a bit withdrawn, ripe plummy fruit, rich and heady on the nose and on the palate, retaining youthful, grippy yet ripe broad tannins and showing freshness and definition on the finish, yet this still needs a bit more time in bottle in my opinion, to show at its best.
Quinta do Noval Nacional 2000
Just as deep in colour but more forward on the nose with that lovely floral, aromatic quality of fine vintage Port emerging on the nose; fine and linear on the palate with beautiful definition, berry fruit, menthol and spice, long and linear. Magnificent to drink now and at any time over the next 40 years or more!
