1978 Quinta do Noval

[Alex Bridgeman]

From a bottle with a very sticky capsule, and a top shoulder fill; cork was extracted in two pieces and was very faintly branded. Bottle was imported by Rutherford Miles. Decanted cleanly off a great deal of very solid sediment.

Lovely mahogany-red colour, looking beautifully mature; 40% opaque. Toffee and orange on the nose; also some VA when swirled. Sweet entry, the toffee tones come through on the palate together with raisins and sultanas but with a balancing dose of ripe acidity; good development on the palate, nicely mouthfilling and thick texture. Rather hot on swallowing, but with a big aftertaste and long finish of dry black licorice and bitter oranges. Tasty port, probably at its peak but not in any hurry to be drunk. 90/100. Drunk 1 September 2011, almost exactly 1 year after the last bottle I opened on 14 September 2010.