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Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2020

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Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2020
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2020
Producer Quinta do Noval
Region, Country Douro, Portugal
Bottle Size 750ml
Product Code 21094-750

The most revered and collectable Port in the world, Quinta do Noval Nacional is a Vintage Port produced from a single 2.5-hectare parcel of ungrafted vines in the Quinta do Noval estate, right next to the cellars. This patch of vines consistently produces a sublime and unique wine which is widely considered to be the pinnacle of Vintage Port and indeed, one of the great wines of the world. It is also almost certainly the rarest of the great wines of the world as so little is released and then, only in the appropriate years.

The Nacional plot is not named after the grape Touriga Nacional (as is commonly assumed). In fact, the site is planted with a range of the best Port varieties including Touriga Nacional (which only accounts for roughly 30%), Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão (about 20%, 60-year-old vines), Tinta Roriz and some Sousão. The average age of the vines is around 50 years. The wine is called Nacional (i.e. national) because it is produced exclusively from ungrafted vines (i.e. vines on their original rootstocks and therefore directly in touch with the soil of the nation). The yields of these vines are minuscule (around 15 hl/ha) and the tight bunches of small, deeply coloured grapes produce a massively profound, yet typically sublimely refined Port of rare finesse. The La Romanée-Conti of Ports if you like.

 


Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2020
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2020

Reviews

“Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.”
99 points, Richard Mayson, Decanter
“A solid and energetic Nacional that has hints of greatness. Full and tight with darkness and depth. Very minerally and creamy tannins with intensity and length. Slightly stemmy and green character that you look for in great vintage Port. 115 cases made.”
99 points, jamessuckling.com
“It has a magnificent, exquisitely defined bouquet with a purity that bowls you over, perhaps even more intense than the 2019 Nacional tasted alongside. The palate is extraordinarily pure and intense, slightly vicious in texture, with layers of cassis, black cherries, blood orange and a dab of spice. Seamless on the finish. This is a worth follow up to the stellar 2019 Nacional. The two will fight between themselves for supremacy.”
99 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
"Just raising this glass to my nose, it is obvious that this is a cosmic creation. Epic in every respect, the perfume is unlike any wine in the world, and the palate is even more impressive. […] It is a baby, but it already tastes glorious. How can this be possible when one considers the scale of the tannins and acidity on the finish. It is because this wine is in perfect balance, and yet there is nothing out of place or excessive in any way. This is a perfect Port, and it will live forever." 20/20
Matthew Jukes, Matthewjukes.com

Reviews

“Like the rest of Quinta do Noval, the Nacional parcel ripened early in 2020 and was harvested in one day on 17th September. Deepest inky crimson-black colour; sullen and dense on the nose but with underlying opulence; amazing depth and concentration, nothing raw about this despite its youth. Broad, ripe, gravelly tannins, focused with glorious spice and richness. Big and broad on the finish but with remarkable freshness and finesse for a hot year. A ‘wow’ of a wine with a lifetime or more in bottle ahead.”
99 points, Richard Mayson, Decanter
“A solid and energetic Nacional that has hints of greatness. Full and tight with darkness and depth. Very minerally and creamy tannins with intensity and length. Slightly stemmy and green character that you look for in great vintage Port. 115 cases made.”
99 points, jamessuckling.com
“It has a magnificent, exquisitely defined bouquet with a purity that bowls you over, perhaps even more intense than the 2019 Nacional tasted alongside. The palate is extraordinarily pure and intense, slightly vicious in texture, with layers of cassis, black cherries, blood orange and a dab of spice. Seamless on the finish. This is a worth follow up to the stellar 2019 Nacional. The two will fight between themselves for supremacy.”
99 points, Neal Martin, Vinous
"Just raising this glass to my nose, it is obvious that this is a cosmic creation. Epic in every respect, the perfume is unlike any wine in the world, and the palate is even more impressive. […] It is a baby, but it already tastes glorious. How can this be possible when one considers the scale of the tannins and acidity on the finish. It is because this wine is in perfect balance, and yet there is nothing out of place or excessive in any way. This is a perfect Port, and it will live forever." 20/20
Matthew Jukes, Matthewjukes.com

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