NV Quinta do Noval Tawny 20 Year Old

95 POINTS

Wine Spectator

This is a shade or two darker and richer than its peers, with warm toffee, hazelnut cream, roasted vanilla, cinnamon and walnut husk notes leading the way, backed by halva, pistachio oil and dried fig details. Lush through the finish, with the walnut hint lingering long enough for all the elements to fall in line. An exotic tawny. Drink now.

95 POINTS

Decanter

Set up in 1715, Noval is the only historic Port wine shipper to bear the name of its quinta. Its declaration of 1931 as a vintage year – arguably the greatest vintage of the 20th century – helped establish Quinta do Noval as a famous Port house. Grapes for this tawny are foot-trodden, creating a suitable must for fermentation which is later pressed in large stone vats, called lagares. Richard Mayson - Savoury on the nose and palate. A little toasted and baked but rather lovely, with a dry finish. Rod Smith MW - Warm aromas of baked fruit, toast and honey, along with some caramel and hazelnut. Nicely proportioned and uniform yet complex, with a long, lip-smacking finish. Demetri Walters MW - Caramel dominates the front palate here, while a marked sweetness punctuated by leather and iodine characters create excellent mid-palate weight and expression, with a note of baked orange completing the finale. A sweeter style, but convincing with it.