1931 Quinta do Noval Nacional

[Alex Bridgeman]

NN31, at d+1h: dark red, 70% opaque. Nose a big stinky. Lots of richness and intensity, but the stink too strong. Much improved the following day, when big, with lots of pepper, dark plum fruit, and no stink. The pepper showed strongly from early to late palate. An excellent port, but falling shy of the very top rank - JDAW Jan 2013

English bottled by Justerini & Brooks, Bailey & Co. Cork branded Quinta do Noval Vintage 1931. Purchased at the same auction as the previous bottle tasted in 2007 and identified solely from the handwritten label. Dark red, with a hint of brown; opaque from the cloudiness of the fine sediment not filtered from the wine. Bottle stink on the nose dominates any other smells that this might have had to offer. On the palate there is a great concentration of fruit, jammy but with an underlying acidity and tannic core. Then a lively, spicy finish of espresso and cherrystones. A very big wine, enjoayble, but not deserving of its monumental reputation. 90/100.