Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage 2020 Port

€ 1,195.00

"We were aware from the beginning that the Nacional was outstanding, and the wine has developed wonderfully since the harvest. There are years when we know straight after the treading in lagar that we will be declaring a Nacional Vintage Port, and 2020 was one of these. The wine displays the complexity and many layered profundity that are typical of a great Nacional.", said Seely.

Of the 143 hectares of vineyard, two have never been affected by phylloxera. Why that is so, no one really knows. Seely may not be a technical person but he has tried to unravel the mystery by replanting cuttings from the plot to other parts of the remaining 141 hectares of vines. It hasn‘t work though. Like a poet who knows better than to challenge the divine. It is no accident that the name of this single 2 ha parcel reflects all that is dearest and most precious to vinous Portugal

Food-Pairing

A delicious digestive, but can also be accompanied by rich old cheeses, dark chocolate or chocolate mousse.

Grapes: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão

Grapes are trodden by foot to obtain the must, then during fermentation macerate to obtain the best possible extraction in the lagares, the traditional stone vats from the Quinta. It is matured for 18 months in wooden casks in the air conditioned cellars of the Quinta, at the demarcated region of the Douro Valley before bottling.

The word "Nacional" refers to the fact that the vines are Portuguese vines growing in Portuguese soil with no foreign root stock, and are therefore "attached to the soil of the Nation". During the late 19th Century, the best vineyard of Noval was saved from the Phylloxera outbreak that destroyed most European vines, through intense fumigation. Rather than grafting the vines to American rootstock, the standard practice to give resistance to the Phylloxera aphid, the vineyard survived with their original Portuguese rootstock – hence the name, ‘Naçional’. The legendary Naçional is made from a 6-acre parcel of ungrafted vines, which when declared will only produce 200-300 cases, instantly becoming the most sought-after port in the world. Many vintages of Naçional are considered as the finest ports, and some of the finest wines, ever made.

2020 was a hot and dry year, with a prolonged ripening period throughout the summer that led to an early harvest, as the grapes became fully ripe by early September. The resulting wines are extremely rich and powerful, voluminous, sensual, with great density. Tannic structure is immense, but with remarkable finesse.

Harvest was very short, from 1st to 22nd September, which is most unusual for Noval where normally the diversity of varieties, exposures and altitudes results in picking times ranging over a longer period. In 2020 the time to choose the right moment to pick each parcel was very short and the capacity of our three different lagar wineries was used to the full. The resulting wines are pure and aromatic, with remarkable density. We chose to allow slightly higher residual sugars than usual this year, and the result is a harmony and richness that is quite particular to this wonderful year at Quinta do Noval.

Alcoholcontent

19,5%

pH: 3,66