1963 Quinta do Noval Nacional

[Alex Bridgeman]

NN63: not my usual Saturday lunch drinking! Dark red, 70% opaque. Nose somewhat closed, with plum fruit. Taste dry at start. Plum fruit mid- and late-palate. Lots of heat late-palate. Ending large and long. Excellent juice. JDAW, January 2013

Deep red, slightly cloudy making it difficult to judge opacity; solid rim. Luscious nose; rich fruitcake and spicy cherries - the kind of port you can sit and smell for ages. Subdued on entry, but then explodes into life. Rich depth of fruit, firm acidity and fantastic complexity with patience on the palate. There is a wonderful burst of fragrant floral fruit on the aftertaste, then a long and powerful concentrated lemon marmalade finish. This is a port that is living up to its reputation and is now beginning to be mature - just a pity we weren't able decant it for longer. 96/100. Decanted 3½ hours.