2017 Quinta do Noval

[JacobH]

Opaque purple, fading to indigo on the rim. Deep concentrated fruit on the nose. Some grapes, too. In the mouth, stacks of tannins and pronounced acidity. Good balance of red currants, blackberry and other red fruits. Some floral tones, too. Very elegant for a young vintage port with the potential to be excellent.

Tasted at: Quinta do Noval Virtual Tasting with 67 Pall Mall

Date: 28th June 2020

Rated: C

http://www.jacob-head.com/port/records/ ... al_2017_VP

(A Note on Ratings

My rating system attempts to answer the question “is this a good Port?” one of three ways: No; Possibly; or Certainly. Ports generally are rated against others of their category. Therefore, a Ruby Port which I rate as C for Certainly good, might not be as good as a Vintage Port which receives the same rating. I sometimes modify my rating with a plus or minus indicating that the Port is better or worse than might be expected for this category.)

[Alex Bridgeman]

Noval 2017: dark red, the colour of Victoria plum. Wonderful sweet fruit on the nose, pure ripe whortleberry. Smooth entry with fat, ripe fruit over a big tannic core. Such a delightful balance, this is a triumph of finesse over power - but with all the power needed. A lovely balance to the palate with plenty of acidity. An amazing floral perfume to the aftertaste and the fat fruit on the infinite length finish. A very lovely wine. 93/100.