Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2016 750ml Bibendum Wine Co

The most important thing to understand about Quinta do Noval is that, unlike the other famous names of the Port world, Noval is a single estate, a single vineyard. This immediately changes everything when it comes to the declaration of a vintage. The much larger Port houses need the region as a whole to have enjoyed superb vintage conditions in order to declare a harvest. This is firstly because they buy the vast majority of their fruit and therefore cannot control the viticulture (except at any Quintas that they own). Only with a grower’s attention to detail in the vineyard and a strict selection, can a producer hope to outperform a vintage. Secondly, the large houses need to produce a minimum quantity if they declare a vintage under their main brand – in order to supply their significant markets. These two factors make it very difficult for a traditional Port shipper to declare a vintage in anything but an exceptional and even year. Things are different at Quinta do Noval. Firstly, controlling every aspect of their viticulture is an obvious advantage in challenging years and secondly, they have no issues in making a declaration even when the quantities are tiny, when only a small part of the vineyard, or even a few barrels, stand out as ‘vintage quality’. Noval‘s philosophy is as refreshing as it is admirable and perfectly logical. If the quality is there, then it should be bottled! In 2014 there was some beautiful fruit harvested across the region early on, then the rain hit making things much more tricky. Novalmade a strict selection and has produced a small release of a magnificent wine. – Importer Note