Quinta do Noval is an astonishing wine estate, with a rare combination of deep history and innovation. Founded in 1715, it has changed hands just twice over 300 years. The most important thing to understand about Quinta do Noval is, that unlike the other famous names in the world of Port, Noval is a single estate, a single vineyard, a producer that controls every step of production from vine to bottle. The much larger Port houses buy most of their fruit and therefore cannot control the viticulture (except at any Quintas they own). They also make wine in far larger volumes which, as we know, has its cons.

The 150 hectares of mostly high-altitude, high-density vineyards are predominantly on unforgiving schist rock, producing very low yields of the best fruit imaginable. Controlling every aspect of the vineyard work is an obvious advantage for Noval, while the attention to detail in the cellar is second to none. In another demonstration of their commitment to local ground, Noval was the first Port producer to move their entire winery and warehousing to the Douro Valley, centralising production among the hillside vineyards rather than downstream at the quays of Vila Nova de Gaia with the rest of the Port community

“Nacional is the Everest, to be sure, but Noval offers a Himalaya's worth of quality in other Ports as well,” Kim Marcus, Wine Spectator

These factors come through loud and clear in the wines themselves, from the Vintage Ports through to the outstanding and much-underrated Tawnies, and the stunning Colheitas. There is also a very strict selection process each year.

Quinta do Noval was a pioneer of the Late Bottled Vintage category when they bottled their first LBV in 1958. Right from the early days, Noval chose to treat this wine like their Vintage Port before aging: focussing on using only great-quality, estate-grown grapes, trodden by foot. And unlike the prevailing norm where heavy-handed filtration strips out so much, Noval bottles their LBV without filtration. The result is a considerably richer style that shares some of the depth and intensity of Noval’s own vintage port.

Jancis Robinson has written that “Noval ports in general have stood out in comparisons of ports below vintage port level,”. This is certainly the case with Noval’s Tawnies, where rigorous selection and impeccable aging produce a pyramid of fascinating and delicious wines rooted in finesse, purity and intricacy. Even the entry-level wine is given the Rolls Royce treatment and tastes a thousand miles away from the more common and manipulated ‘boot tawny’ made with lighter fruit (and sometimes diluted with white Port). Along with its fortified brethren, Madeira and Sherry, these complex, multifaceted and invigorating wines remain some of the greatest values in the world of wine.

In an interesting sidebar reflecting Quinta do Noval’s standing in the world of wine and beyond, US President Barack Obama was possibly the first person to receive an allocation of 2008 Quinta do Noval Vintage when he was presented with a single bottle by Portuguese President Cavaco Silva at the 2008 NATO summit (2008 being the year when the ex-US President took office). In return, President Cavaco Silva received a copy of the very first treaty signed between Portugal and the United States—you work out who got the best gift!