1980 Quinta do Noval Nacional

[DRT]

Links:

• Arrangements;
• Blinded Placemats;
• Un-blinded Placemats;
• Review of the evening as a whole;
• 1980 Cockburn LBV;
• 1980 Dow;
• 1980 Ferreira;
• 1980 Fonseca (in Bottle);
• 1980 Fonseca (en Magnum);
• 1980 Graham’s;
• 1980 Hutcheson;
• 1980 Noval Nacional;
• 1980 Offley Boa Vista;
• 1980 Smith Woodhouse (in Bottle);
• 1980 Smith Woodhouse (in Halves);
• 1980 Taylor;
• 1980 Warre.

[DRT]

[jdaw1]

Decanter #11, translucent red. Unimpressive nose, accurately described by THRA as ‟coarse”. And in the mouth the dominant sensation was heat in the mid-palate. Guessed to be Taylor but actually Nacional: wildly over-priced for the port that it is.

Though Derek did say that ‟you can chuck this down your neck for hours”. Not my impression of it.

[DRT]

Quinta do Noval Nacional 1980
Light red centre, just a touch darker than the Fonseca of the same vintage. Very open and enjoyable nose with prunes and rhubarb dominating. Mouthfilling entry, developing enormously with lots of orange and roasted meat flavours. Huge start to the aftertaste, which fades away very quickly but stays noticeable for a long time. Really enjoyable for drinking now. 91/100.

[uncle tom]

I was really taken aback when it was revealed that this was a Nacional; it was the second palest wine of them all, and really unimpressive.

If this bottle is typical of the '80 NN's, Mr Seely should offer a free swap with a better year, to get them out of circulation, and protect Noval's reputation.

Tom