Wine Advisor
Quinta do Noval, Vintage Port 2014
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Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Mark Squires
The 2014 Vintage Port is a typical Douro field blend (bottled in September, 2016) with 101 grams per liter of residual sugar and 19.5% alcohol. This is filled with charm. I will say that it showed better in Porto as a barrel sample over the summer than it does now--it has closed up a bit after bottling. I'm going with my initial impression, because it should come back. Wonderfully aromatic and laced with herbs and spice, it is easy to see why it will be attractive. Its limitations are easy to see, too. It is probably a bit too compact for greatness, not really showing a lot of depth--even at age 15, the 2001 Nacional reviewed last issue surpassed it easily--and the structure is just average compared to some old-school examples from Noval. This still has many moments, though. If it is a bit light, it is fresh and lively, with just enough structure to carry on. It will certainly develop more complexity with age. At the moment, it is shockingly approachable, except for lacking truly expressive fruit. That should come in time--it was much tastier in Porto. About an hour in the glass, after use of an aerator, brought it around pretty well. If you have read my table wine article this year, you will see many comments on the very difficult 2014 vintage. You might wonder why Noval declared a Vintage Port in this rather miserable year for most of Portugal and most of Douro--continuing Noval's very admirable effort to push the declaration envelope (having recently declared 2011, 2012, 2013 and now 2014 in a row). Good for them, is all I can say. Christian Seely said, "We might have avoided controversy by not declaring this Vintage of 2014, but I found the wine absolutely irresistible and had no hesitation at all in declaring this very small quantity (1,000 cases)..." Well, even if it is not the greatest Noval, so what? We sometimes pay for famous table wines in modest vintages that cost more and won't age nearly as well. Why should Port be any different? This holds its own pretty decently.
Reviewed by: Mark Squires
The 2014 Vintage Port is part of our mini-vertical this issue. Sexy and delicious, this is pretty much ready to drink now, in theory. When first poured, it was a bit tight, but another look with decanting showed that it was ready to roll, needing no more time at all. If it's not a terribly well-structured Port by Noval's standards, it still has some at least. The good news is that the flavors have evolved a little, justifying my initial optimism. My first look had the flavor profile showing overly dry and a little washed out. Now, there's fruit too—at least some. This will never be a particularly impressive Noval, but it should still drink well over a couple of decades, at least. Maybe it will surprise us in the end, but it is worth noting that it was blasted off the table by its siblings in this issue's mini-vertical, seeming duller, weaker and more stolid.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
The 2014 Vintage Port is certainly the most backward of Noval's recent vintages, notes of black fruit, orange rind, sage, flecks of powdered dark chocolate and white pepper. The palate is ripe and viscous on the entry, tightly-knit and probably not as precise as subsequent vintages, just missing a bit of flair towards the finish. I wonder whether this is in an awkward phase? Very linear at the moment, but the precision is there. Keep this in the cellar. Incidentally, this was Noval's smallest declaration of 700 cases. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.
About the Producer
Quinta do Noval is one of the oldest and leading wineries producing Port wine. Among the top port producers, Bird Park is even more distinguished by the fact that its grapes are picked from a single vineyard. Notably, the winery is known for producing Portugal’s best port wine, “Nacional”, a blend from a single vineyard of old vines in the domestic Touriga Nacional. Likewise, the winery also produces high-quality dry red wines from Portugal, the most anticipated wines from the Douro region, showing unparalleled depth and concentration, as well as rich fruit and spice. trait. "Douro" means gold and gold in Portuguese, so the Douro River is also called the Golden River Valley. The Bird Park is located in Pinhao Village, the most central part of the Douro River region. The winery now has about 247 acres of vineyards. The Bird Park was created in 1715, originally owned and operated by the Rebello Valente family for over a century, and passed on to Viscount Vilar D'Allen by marriage in the early 19th century , a man with a passion for wild dances. In the 1880s, due to phylloxera damage, like other local wineries, Bird Garden was also for sale. In 1894, it was sold to Antonio Jose da Silva, a famous local businessman, who replanted the grape The estate was reborn, and his son-in-law, Luiz Vasconcelos Porto, took over the management and has been managing the winery for nearly 30 years. Louis vigorously carried out reforms, widening the width of the terraces, increasing the light and the convenience of field operations, which is a great reform even by today's technical standards, and promoted the winery with the help of Cambridge, Oxford and other clubs to enhance the reputation of the winery. Bird Garden's reputation continued to improve, and the 1931 vintage was an iconic one. Due to the world economic downturn at the time, orders for Port wine fell sharply. During the year, only three wine merchants continued to operate. Bird Garden was the The only Portuguese producer at the time with continuous exports to the Anglo-American market.
