2003 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port

[Lamont Huxley]

A co-worker of mine found out that I love port and generously offered to open this bottle to share with me. We had a couple of glasses after about 2 hours of decant time on the first night and he left me a couple of glasses in the decanter to enjoy the following day, so these notes were taken after 24+ hours of decanting:

Opaque royal purple with a garnet/purple rim. Great aromatics that got better with each glass: chocolate, blueberry, flowers and woody/spicy note that I couldn't quite pin down - perhaps cedar or tobacco. The palate is medium bodied with a lovely profile of blue/black fruits, raisins and chocolate. Not nearly as brawny as I had expected but shows great depth and balance with velvety, chocolate-y tannins that turn slightly grainy on the very long finish that starts out with a hint of pepper and transitions back into echoes of raisins and chocolate. This is really nice stuff - not a blockbuster but more of a plush and seductive style. 93+ pts, Tasted 6/11

[Andy Velebil]

This is really nice stuff - not a blockbuster but more of a plush and seductive style. 93+ pts, Tasted 6/11

Glad you got to try this, was this your first time trying this Port? I ask as this last statement of yours would be consistant with recent bottles I've had in the past couple years. Having had this many times since release, there is no question this started to close up a couple years ago and isn't showing it's true potential at the moment. So if you thought it was good now, give it another 10-15 years to reemerge as the blockbuster it was when very young.

[Lamont Huxley]

Yup, this was my first time tasting it. It's hard to believe that it could be called closed down at this point, as I found it to be very expressive on the nose as well as the palate, but if that's the case then I definitely look forward to trying it again in the years to come!

[Glenn E.]

Yep, Andy nailed it. This is one of my favorite young Ports, but it started closing down a couple of years ago. I don't plan to open any more of my stash for at least another 10 years, though I can imagine how good it would still be even while closed down. When it was still open (2007-2008) it was an amazing Port!

[Roy Hersh]

I'll be the contrarian and agree with Lamont. I've not seen the 2003 Noval shut down, but do agree with Andy that this is a powerful, vibrant blockbuster and I've enjoyed a bunch of these too. I do think that a 24 hour decant might be a bit too much if intentional, but if the Port winds up left over the second day it certainly softens a bit compared to how it shows initially, or at least early on. Try this VP in a pop-n-pour situation or within the first few hours it is open to see that although the aromatics may be tight, the palate is blow away good. Just my take. A Vintage Port that is not too far off the quality of the Nacional of the same year ... and I've had 'em side-by-side a handful of times. If the 2003 Noval is not in your cellar and you are under 45, I'd have to ask you ... why not?

Not only is Noval one of the top 2003's, but it sells for a very reasonable price today. Load the boat.

[Victor D.]

I'll be the contrarian and agree with Lamont. I've not seen the 2003 Noval shut down, but do agree with Andy that this is a powerful, vibrant blockbuster and I've enjoyed a bunch of these too. I do think that a 24 hour decant might be a bit too much if intentional, but if the Port winds up left over the second day it certainly softens a bit compared to how it shows initially, or at least early on. Try this VP in a pop-n-pour situation or within the first few hours it is open to see that although the aromatics may be tight, the palate is blow away good. Just my take. A Vintage Port that is not too far off the quality of the Nacional of the same year ... and I've had 'em side-by-side a handful of times. If the 2003 Noval is not in your cellar and you are under 45, I'd have to ask you ... why not?

Not only is Noval one of the top 2003's, but it sells for a very reasonable price today. Load the boat.

I will agree wholeheartedly here....

Being a somewhat newb to all the ports...I have been tasting a boat load of them over the last several months.

I think the taste of the 2003 QdN VP is as vibrant as I've tasted thus far and I've tasted some 70's and early 90's. I keep reading it's young and to wait as the age will yet improve this VP. Gosh, that is impressive to note because I am right now drinking a QdN 97 port and the 2003 seems to have much more fruit and sweetness over the 97 QdN VP I am sipping on as I write this! This 97 I'm drinking has been decanted 4 hours and the last 03 was a bit less. Maybe age will improve the 97, but the 2003 thus far is stuck on my palate and I cannot shake it off!

So far, I am buying all the 2003 QdN I can get my hands on, I like it that much.

Vic

[Andy Velebil]

Victor,
This is a fantastic Port and glad you like it. It has been one of my favorites from the vintage since I first tried it. Since you love this one, try the 2007 as well. It has, and still is, my favorite from 2007.

[Eric Menchen]

Woohoo! I have a few of the 1997, managed to pick up a bunch of the 2003 for cheap when the distributor changed, and bought a bit of the 2007 when one of my local b&m's had it for about the cheapest price in the country. I'm going to try waiting on them, but it may be difficult with notes and comments like this thread.