TN: 2003 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port

[Al B.]

Decant: 4 hours - Ex-cellars. 6,000 cases produced. Over 50% Touriga Nacional, balance Touriga France and Tinta Cao. Deep and opaque purple, staining the glass when swirled. Nose of pure blueberry juice. In the mouth the tannins are huge but soft but the pure fruit juice flavours overwhelm everything else. The mid-palate brings yet more fruit flavours and enormous but balanced acidity. The aftertaste starts with puckered cheeks from the tannins but moves to dried cherries and liquorice and then slowly fades away. This is a wonderful wine to drink now, fruity and up front, but has superb structure to develop over many decades. A wonderful wine and the best showing yet of my three tastings of this wine. This has convinced me to go out and buy this wine. 9/10 on Tom's scale. 96 points