BBR Tasting: Noval and Nacional w/ Christian Seely

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Chris Doty
Graham’s Malvedos 1996
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BBR Tasting: Noval and Nacional w/ Christian Seely

Post by Chris Doty »

TPF showed up in strength to the exceptional Nacional tasting put on by BBR on the 25th of October, 2010.

On the whole, I thought it was a very professional and enjoyable tasting. BBR has this format down, and it is always helpful when you have such great wines as Noval Nacional and such a charasmatic spokesman as Christian Seely on hand.

For the wines, the '63 Nacional (92+) was my clear WOTN, but the big surprise to me I guess was how well I thought the young 'basic' novals showed (especially the 2007, which is in a more accessible place at the moment than its older brothers). A treat to taste so many Nacionals. To me, their quality does not come anywhere close to justifying their price, but it is great to gain experience.

My notes:

Pol Roger Winston Churchill 1998
Creamy and fresh, if a bit tight. This was a bit in no man's land, having neither the typical NV flavor profile (green apple skin, light moose, etc) nor the flavors of vintage champagne (cheese, some pencil shavings, some nuts) this was just sort of primary and zippy. Good, but needs time. 87 (with 88-91 potential)

Quinta do Noval 2007
Great! What a start. Sweet, mouth coating thick purple. Lacks secondary characteristics (still young), but this is a wine to keep an eye on. Not as dense/complex as the 94 vesuvio, but of a similar cloth perhaps. 89+ (with 92-94+ potential)

Quinta do Noval 2004
Almost a green (?!) component on the nose. Something less interesting/ripe right off the bat. Lighter in the mouth, not as polished or captivating as the 2007. Christian mentioned they produced very limited quantities in 2004 to try to produce a more dense wine...i think they likely produced too much. Will no doubt improve over time, but i'm not sure this will ever merit an exceptional score. 84 (88-90 potential)

Quinta do Noval 2003
Tasty! This has lots of dark, brawny, brambly fruits. Did I mention dark? Thicker than the 2004, but somehow less captivating to me than the 2007 (a bit closed, I reckon). Still very very good, and likely to evolve into an exceptional wine. 87++ (90-93+ potential)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2003
Monolithic nose. This reminds me of that slab they discover on the Moon in 2001 space odyssey. Tons of sediment. A bit more alcohol on the nose -- something also slightly mexican going on here. Some strange cooking spice - I like it, but it is odd. Smooth in the mouth, and the longest so far, but somehow not killing me, as it seems to be holding quite a bit back. 88++ (93-96 potential)

Quinta do Noval 2000
Wow! Thick, rich, massive. This is a big, big boy. Showing great promise if integration continues and secondary flavors emerge. Nearly exceptional now, and certain to get better. A wine to buy. 89++ (91-95 potential)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 2000
Smokey, tannic -- VERY tannic, and a strong, firm finish. Lots of grip and structure here. The fruit is asleep, but the house is all up in your face. 88? (difficult to evaluate -- 92-97 potential?)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1997
ALL tannin. Spice and Tannin. Almost undrinkable at this stage for me. Promise, certainly, but at a really difficult stage. 85?? (91-94 potential?!)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1996
MUCH more open/accessible than the 1997. Has that chewy richness that I've now seen on a number of these nacionals. Again, this isn't killing me, but it is quite nice - if lighter and more resolved in the mouth than prior wines. Somehow there is a strange component on the midpalate - something not fruity and not tannic -- difficult to pin down. 87 (90-92 potential)

Quinta do Noval 1994
Shockingly uninteresting. Some cheap leather and half-cooked plums and grape candy. Not stunning or memorable at all. Very basic. 83 (flawed bottle?)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1994
Long and complex, but too damn young! 88++ (92-98 potential?)

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1967
Coca cola colored. Very chewy! Grippy. Opening into a very nice little wine. Not much fruit, and therefore not really my stylistic preference for port, but this is clearly distinctive and refined. A great vintage, if a bit beyond my preferred drinking window. 89

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1964
Very light color -- a pinkish brown. Smells like waking up next to betty boop in black and white. Very 1920s/1930s in its feel. Not much fruit, but this has character in spades. 89

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1963
Easy WOTN. Smells EXACTLY like Villa Doria Pamphilj (park) in Rome. Crazy green tree tops, soil,k antiquity and mystique. Rich and full. Really the first and only 'complete' wine of the night. This is showing good fruit and balance. Exceptional. 99 points is not close to my palate, but this is great stuff. 92+
Last edited by Chris Doty on 15:38 Tue 26 Oct 2010, edited 1 time in total.
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jdaw1
Cockburn 1851
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Re: BBR Tasting: Noval and Nacional w/ Christian Seely

Post by jdaw1 »

Chris: please do start individual threads for the tasting notes, so that they can go in the TN index and be readily accessible. Thanks.
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angeleyes
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Re: BBR Tasting: Noval and Nacional w/ Christian Seely

Post by angeleyes »

I think I am becoming a fan of Chris's style of describing wines, in particular the movie references! I might try the same 88)
Mark
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