Vinous (94)

Deep saturated ruby. Supersweet but vibrant aromas of crystallized dark berries, flowers, licorice and bitter chocolate. Very dense and medium-sweet, with superb concentration of flavor and lovely pliancy. Captivating hint of cocoa powder. Finishes with big but thoroughly ripe tannins and an explosive whiplash of flavor.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2011 Vintage Port hasn't been seen in a while. It begins our mini-vertical this issue. Showing rich and gorgeous fruit, this is pure, young and elegant. There is still plenty of power here, but decanting a small portion for about three hours gave me some hope that it would be approachable a bit sooner than anticipated. Noval has mid-palate finesse all the time—so, too, here. It makes this very graceful, despite the power and the first lush impression. The pure power does not detract from the feeling of elegance at all, as this comes together well. Dried herbs, eucalyptus and a long finish make this special, the complexity on the finish sealing the deal. This is early in this wine's evolution, but it is beginning to open its eyes and peek out at the world.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2012 Vintage Port is part of our mini-vertical this issue. Since this was last seen, it has come along beautifully. It is actually richer, lusher and more seductive than the 2011, which focuses on power, while still showing admirable mid-palate finesse. That said, it really isn't as concentrated, and it certainly is not as well structured. It is still an unusually sexy Noval with a hedonistic overlay. It is pretty approachable. You may not conclude it is the best of the group, but everyone's going to adore it.

Vinous (96)

The 2013 Vintage Port from Noval is a little more seductive on the nose compared to the 2014, blackberry and raspberry, very floral and still not unlike a fortified Margaux, which is no bad thing. The palate is really wonderful with fine but firm tannins, plenty of freshness, notes of allspice and white pepper filtering through the layers of black fruit yet with a sense of weightlessness on the finish. This 2013 maybe pulls ahead of the succeeding two vintages in time. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.

Vinous (94)

The 2015 Vintage Port from Noval was picked from 2 September, stopping for the mid-September rain and restarting on 24 September. It has a tightly wound bouquet with black cherries, eau-de-vie, touches of sage and pencil shavings, light menthol scents emerging with time. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly saline entry, fine depth, but not the most powerful Noval in recent years; black pepper becomes more prominent towards the finish. This Port is sleek and seductive, though probably five or six years away from being ready as there is still a bit of toughness on the finish. Tasted at the Quinta do Noval tasting at Spring restaurant in London.

James Suckling (98)

This is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.

James Suckling (98)

This is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy. Better in 2025.

Vinous (97)

The 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta do Noval ever?

Vinous (97)

The 2017 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was picked from August 21 to September 28 under perfect conditions. It has a tightly wound bouquet that requires a lot of aeration. Eventually it reveals fabulous, detailed aromas of cassis, bilberry jam, crushed stone and pressed violets, later hints of orange blossom and quince. The palate is pure class. Saturated tannins, wonderful structure but the headline is the intensity of fruit. I cannot remember a Noval with this penetration, almost overwhelming the senses as layers of effervescent black plum and cassis fruit segue into a spicy finish that fans out like there is no tomorrow. Is this the best Quinta do Noval ever?

Vinous (95)

The 2022 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port was trodden by foot in concrete lagares and spent 18 months in wooden casks. This bursts forth on the nose: black cherries, raspberry coulis, licorice, cigar humidor and light pine touches. Wonderful delineation and focus. The palate is very well balanced with superb definition. Pure black fruit is judiciously spiced, with hints of Christmas cake, black pepper and outstanding cohesion on the finish. At 2,600 cases of twelve, this is a relatively larger declaration compared to recent vintages, indicative of Christian Seely's belief in the vintage.

Wine Spectator (99)

This sports serious heft, with a core of brooding fig jam, ganache, Christmas pudding and pastis-soaked black currant notes, followed by a powerhouse finish of smoldering charcoal and tar. The feel is remarkably velvety and rounded overall, with a mouthwatering licorice root element adding to the already considerable length. Best from 2026 through 2056.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2004 Vintage Port Nacional is a declared Vintage Port aged for 18 months in wooden casks. An old vines field blend, it comes in at just 79 grams per liter of residual sugar, rather dry on paper and in perception. Typically graceful and leaning on elegance in the mid-palate, it is laced with some herbs and rhubarb up front. It is very aromatic and it opens with a distinctive flavor profile compared to others in the Vintage Port lineup that I had open. In the mid-palate, it seems like a very fine table wine in some ways, showing remarkable finesse and focus, and a rather dry finish. It is completely closed and gives little. The structure and the underlying concentration are all obvious, though. They are classic and they make this a cellar candidate from the get-go. Despite being over a decade old, this is tight, firm, powerful and too young. After playing around with it for several days, I saw it finally begin to blossom, to show fresh fruit and something besides austerity. By the end of the week, it was far more evolved, showing its wonderful concentration, increasingly interesting intensity of flavor and a long finish. It is never obvious, but it is always quite gorgeous. This is an old school Port on an old school schedule. It needs cellaring. If extended aeration makes it at least a bit approachable, it is not exactly showing all it has and all it can be. Be patient--even if it is more approachable in a decade or so, that won't be even close to its peak. If you're patient and young, give it a try around 2040.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2017 Vintage Port Nacional is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in at 99 grams of residual sugar and was bottled about a month before this tasting after 18 months in wooden vats. In 2016, I might've made an argument that the regular Noval was better. In this vintage, this seems to be a clear choice, granting that Ports change constantly in their youth. Its siblings at all levels in the last few vintages are very fine, but this is an indisputable benchmark that seems to better them all. Rich and vibrant, this has plenty of stuffing and flavor, more than the regular Noval. Then, it adds layer after layer of power. A couple of hours of air makes both the flavors and tannins more intense. It is simply gripping—yet also remarkably fresh. It's a great Noval, and one of the shortlist candidates for Wine of the Vintage. There were 200 cases produced.

Decanter (96)

Made only in top years from the best lots, like all Noval's reds this is fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak - in this case for 10 months in 35% new oak. Signature orange blossom riffs make for a delicate interplay of fruit and flower. A plume of fine, schistous tannins and bright acidity gently but persuasively anchor and extend its inky, perfumed black berry and plum fruits, with hints of bergamot, milk chocolate, clove, cedar and cinnamon. Very fine and such a great example of the variety, and nearly half the price of the Reserva!