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Noval, part of a 1963 horizontal At my father’s in Sussex, on Saturday 2nd February 2008.

Links to relevant threads:

• Review of evening as a whole;
• Hedges and Butler 1963 magnum;
• Cockburn 1963;
• Croft 1963;
• Delaforce 1963;
• Dow 1963;
• Fonseca 1963;
• Graham 1963;
• Offley Boa Vista 1963;
• Taylor 1963;
• Noval 1963.

I had trouble deciding whether the Noval 1963 was great or ordinary. Middling red to the eye. I, supported by SC, found lavender and sugar. PMD and SRG found black cherries. The taste started rich and fruity, and fatty unctuousness. Lovely. But the aftertaste was mostly alcohol. Some people had this amongst the best ports of the evening, but I thought in the second three rather than the top tier.

Noval 1963 cork

Noval 1963 bottle

Noval 1963 capsule

Decanted for 4½ hours before drinking. Mid-red colour with hickory smoke on the nose over a floral lavender and cherry bouquet. Rich mouthfeel with dust and then cranberries and lots of fruit; some fatness and a great acidic structure. A warm aftertaste bringing red licorice. This port took quite a time to develop in the glass to its full potential, but an hour later the nose had opened up and was magnificent. My second top wine of the night after the Fonseca '63. 94/100. Drunk 2/2/08.

Are we still talking about a Noval 63 or has somebody smuggled in some Nacional in your TNs. Was it that much better than the one we had last March in London?

Axel

Regular Noval. I have found great variation in UK bottlings of Noval 1963. Some, from Queens’ College Cambridge, are among the best ports I have ever tasted. Others have been dry or dismal or both. This was at the better end, but not best-ever N63.