2018 Quinta Do Noval - Porto Late Bottled Vintage Port (750ml)

Quinta do Noval is a single estate in Pinhão whose full history stretches back more than three centuries, having once belonged to the Rebello Valente family before passing to the Van Zellers, who rebuilt the property after a devastating fire in 1981. AXA Millésimes acquired the quinta in 1993 and continues to run it today. Noval has a long record of innovation, including surviving the phylloxera epidemic on a small parcel of ungrafted vines that became the source of its famed Nacional bottling, and introducing the very first Late Bottled Vintage Port in 1958, a style this wine continues to represent.

Made entirely from grapes grown on the Noval property, this unfiltered 2018 LBV is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, and Tinto Cão, foot-trodden in traditional stone lagares. It then matured for five years in oak casks, well beyond the two years typical of a classic vintage bottling, before being bottled in 2023, resulting in a wine that is more approachable young while retaining real depth.

The color is very dark, with an intense aroma of wild berries, spice, and dark cocoa. The palate is smooth yet powerful, with firm structure and well-integrated oak carrying through a long, fresh finish. Pair with roasted duck or a hard sheep's cheese.