1966 Nacional

[jdaw1]

TN: Noval Nacional 1966

The Deeper Underground 1966 Horizontal, held at the Crusting Pipe, Covent Garden, London WC2E 8RD, on Monday 28 January 2008.

Links:

• Planning and arrangements: pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15;
• Review of the evening as a whole;
• TN: Adam 1966;
• TN: Avery 1966;
• TN: Croft 1966;
• TN: Delaforce 1966;
• TN: Dow 1966;
• TN: Fonseca 1966;
• TN: Graham 1966;
• TN: Morgan 1966;
• TN: Noval 1966;
• TN: Noval Nacional 1966;
• TN: Offley Boa Vista 1966;
• TN: Robertson’s Rebello Valente 1966;
• TN: Taylor 1966;
• TN: Warre 1966;
• TN: Berry Brothers & Rudd 1966.

[AHB]

Acquired via Christie's in June 2006. Reputed to be from the same collection as the Nacional 1931 that was sold in the same auction. (The Nacional '31 was later used for the Linden Wilkie tasting in March 2007.)

[AHB]

Slightly lighter in colour than the regular Noval shown alongside this Nacional, but still with a dark red/brown core and lots of coffee on the nose. Elegant entry with a sweet orange syrup and a thick texture that gets thicker the longer you hold it in your mouth. Redcurrants and cloves, nutmeg and raspberries. Lond and fabulous aftertaste - which is the typical Nacional signature for me, no-one else seems to get the same aftertaste as a Nacional does. This is a port that will hold for many years and may even improve over the next decade or so. 9/9 on Uncle Tom's scale or 96/100. Decanted for 4½ hours and drunk on 28/1/08.

[DRT]

This was one of those moments that etch themselves into the port geeks brain - my first tasting of NN66. I have to admit to being slightly aprehansive about this one having bludgeoned everyone into agreeing to stump up over £40 each for a small glass. Thankfully it lived up to all expectation. What a fabulous port.

My note simply says: "Dark, very thick, complex and delicious" - whilst entirely accurate, I don't think I've done it justice with that note

AHB had this 1st and I had it a close 2nd behind the Fonseca.

A huge thanks to AHB for supplying this very special addition to the line-up. Not many would be so generous with such a prized possession.

[Conky]

Dreamy.

Honestly, my only criticism is it's over priced. I'm glad I took the plunge though. Thoroughbred.

[AHB]

Is Nacional worth the money? Generally I would agree that it isn't but its price as well as its quality makes it something special and it was great to be able to include it in Monday's line up. The first time I have ever tasted the '66.

Would I prefer 5 bottles of Fonseca '66 to 1 bottle of the Nacional '66? Clearly not, as I had the choice and decided to keep the Nacional for an occasion like the Deeper Underground offline!

[Simon Lisle]

This came top for me forgetting about price drinking superbly start to finish.On Tom's scale 8and ahalf 8.