Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | Portugal > Port |
Colour | Red |
Type | Fortified |
View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Quinta do Noval
A very fruity aroma leads to concentrated flavors of raspberry, iron, fig, dark plum, slate and smoke. Refined and unctuous, with a deep well of molten chocolate. Long finish.—Non-blind Quinta do Noval Nacional retrospective (February 2011). Best from 2012 through 2032. 200 cases made.
The saturated blue/purple/black-colored 2000 Vintage Port reveals a distinctive bouquet of graphite, creme de cassis liqueur, licorice, and spice. Sweet tannin, full body, and outstanding concentration provide an impressive entry on the palate. Notions of chocolate make an appearance in the long finish of this sweet, lush, precocious effort. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2030.
The Nacional 2000 is cut from a similar cloth to the Noval Vintage, and judging them side by side, there is a very similar fruit profile, but perhaps a little more delineation. The palate is pure class: sumptuous ripe black fruit, a wonderful thread of acidity, real structure and focus with a precise, elegant and penetrating finish. It mellows wonderfully in the glass, but never quite achieves the pulsating intensity of the Vintage Noval. This is a sublime Nacional, yet there is something that seems to cap its potential. This is a fine Port, but a mild disappointment considering the vintage and class. Drink now-2030. Tasted January 2014
Deep, opaque garnet/purple colour. A very sweet, black cherry nose with a touch of burnt honey in the background. The palate has a soft, sumptuous entry, velvety smooth, harmonious with a slight fatness to it. Raisin, liquorice on the mid-palate, firm structure, becoming more masculine towards the finish. This is an impressive 2000, what I think of as a "symmetrical" port that has great ageing potential. Tasted February 2007.