Medium dark ruby, with a mature nose showing pomegranate, plums, cocoa, beeswax, spice. Midweight palate is somehow soft and lush without the density those terms normally evoke, long, quite lovely. Perhaps not a top vintage for Nacional, but very enjoyable now and positioned to gain a little more complexity over the coming decade.
I drink a lot of vintage port, and have had many vintages of Nacional. I know that some will be unhappy that I’m rating this 93, but you have to call them as you see them! The bottle is perfect, the cork was actually in great shape, and it came from a trusted source. I really have tasted many of the all time great vintage ports of the last decades — I’m not a naive taster.
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Red fruits, licorice and a light grind of pepper. Beautiful floral spirit. Full, sweet and luscious with real volume. Vinous and detailed, great drive through the palate and fabulous length.
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Warm, powerful, concentrated, big, unformed and seemingly quite young, this is all about the potential when the wine matures and all the elements are melded together. The wine is more mineral driven, with freshness and energy at this stage, instead of lush, sweet, chocolate cherries and figs. I do not drink much Port, and very little of it is Quinta Noval Nacional, but I suspect, another 20 years is needed before this is at peak.
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Very tasty and pretty close to prime time. It was quite chocaltey with some notes of cassis and salty plum. There was a hint of teak and curry leaf and it finishes long and spirity.
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A private dinner (Restaurant Le Colombier, London, UK): Great finesse, deep and layered, stellar fruit, spices and bay leaf, hint of eucalyptus, opens rich and warm, endless dimensions, lovely weight, excellent length. Not the grip of the 2000 but magnificent.
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Quinta do Noval tasting with Christian Seely (Berry Brothers and Rudd): Extremely dark and inky in appearance, with a rather closed, subdued nose. Excellent fruit - full and ripe. Extraordinary complexity. It is very easy to see how the 1997 LBV reflects this wine. Really well knitted, balanced and totally harmonious. Excellent. I find it very much superior to the 1996 Nacional, but it would be very interesting to compare the two after 20 or 30 years (chance would be a fine thing!)
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3/10/2024 - KPB wrote: 93 Points
Medium dark ruby, with a mature nose showing pomegranate, plums, cocoa, beeswax, spice. Midweight palate is somehow soft and lush without the density those terms normally evoke, long, quite lovely. Perhaps not a top vintage for Nacional, but very enjoyable now and positioned to gain a little more complexity over the coming decade.
I drink a lot of vintage port, and have had many vintages of Nacional. I know that some will be unhappy that I’m rating this 93, but you have to call them as you see them! The bottle is perfect, the cork was actually in great shape, and it came from a trusted source. I really have tasted many of the all time great vintage ports of the last decades — I’m not a naive taster.
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11/13/2022 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Red fruits, licorice and a light grind of pepper. Beautiful floral spirit. Full, sweet and luscious with real volume. Vinous and detailed, great drive through the palate and fabulous length.
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10/29/2022 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lots of depth on the palate, strong fruit, very berry like, loved it for the long term.
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11/7/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Warm, powerful, concentrated, big, unformed and seemingly quite young, this is all about the potential when the wine matures and all the elements are melded together. The wine is more mineral driven, with freshness and energy at this stage, instead of lush, sweet, chocolate cherries and figs. I do not drink much Port, and very little of it is Quinta Noval Nacional, but I suspect, another 20 years is needed before this is at peak.
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3/12/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Dense, black, balanced and powerful. It has lashings of dark fruits and terrific spirit. It is way too young but delicious none the less.
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2/14/2012 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
Very tasty and pretty close to prime time. It was quite chocaltey with some notes of cassis and salty plum. There was a hint of teak and curry leaf and it finishes long and spirity.
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3/31/2007 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 98 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Le Colombier, London, UK): Great finesse, deep and layered, stellar fruit, spices and bay leaf, hint of eucalyptus, opens rich and warm, endless dimensions, lovely weight, excellent length. Not the grip of the 2000 but magnificent.
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3/15/2007 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: flawed
The Fine Wine Experience Quinta do Noval & Nacional Tasting (with Christian Seely) (Institute of Directors, London): Corked. Yet below the TCA you could sense a wine of extraordinary elegance and length. Not rated.
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10/27/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 98 Points
Quinta do Noval tasting with Christian Seely (Berry Brothers and Rudd): Extremely dark and inky in appearance, with a rather closed, subdued nose. Excellent fruit - full and ripe. Extraordinary complexity. It is very easy to see how the 1997 LBV reflects this wine. Really well knitted, balanced and totally harmonious. Excellent.
I find it very much superior to the 1996 Nacional, but it would be very interesting to compare the two after 20 or 30 years (chance would be a fine thing!)
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