Vintage Port 2008: First taste, Quinta do Noval & Quinta da Romaneira

Today I’m off to The New Douro press tasting, one of my favourite press tastings of the year.  It’ll focus on the 2008 vintage, predominantly table wines (hence “The New Douro”) which, based on my July Douro trip, produced very elegant wines. It’s not a classic (general) declaration vintage as far as Port wine is concerned, so most releases are Single Quinta Vintage Ports (and you’ll find notes on Symington’s and Fladgate’s 2008 releases here and here), but I expect there’ll be a few Ports too. 

I’ll report on the tasting in due course.  Meantime here are my tasting notes on Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2008 (the quinta pictured) and Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 2008, which I tasted last week.  Applying Dirk Niepoort’s “time is on my side” methodology (see here), I tasted them over a 36 hour period. 

Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2008 –  this blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 40% Touriga Francesa 40% and 10% Sousão has a beautiful depth of colour, deep crimson with a black heart.  A Touriga Nacional-fuelled nose is resplendently floral and peppery, lovely lift here with no shortage of concentrated black and red berry and cherry fruit of the “leap out of the glass” variety – as I said, no shortage of lift. Hints of eucalyptus as it opens up too.  In the mouth, it’s glossy and warming both, with a velvet cocoon of tannins doing its best to cradle an exuberance of dark chocolate/mocha and spice edged fruit. Terrific balance suggests this will be good for the long haul while remaining relatively broachable too.  In a word, expressive.

By day two the aromatics had mellowed a touch, placing the emphasis on its sweet, very pure core of fruit and a fine but superbly structured chassis.  As it opens in the glass, it shows dark chocolate, even chocolate orange on the finish.  As on day 1, the balance is quite lovely.    

On day 3 – yes, mellower, the tannins very fine, with great balance, its peppery, floral notes, svelte fruit and chocolate having come together very well. Very good.

Finally, here are Managing Director, Christian Seely’s comments on Quinta do Noval 2008: “This is a very small declaration, less than 1,000 cases, in a year that will probably not be a year of general declaration, but there was a small quantity of wines from the very best terroirs of the Quinta that we found simply irresistible. I am sure that this wine will be a worthy addition to the series of great Quinta do Noval Vintages of the past years, even if its tiny production will inevitably mean that it will be quite rare and hard to find. Strikingly different in personality from the 2007 Vintage, the 2008 is nevertheless classic Noval, with great depth and harmony, and the finesse and elegance that always characterize the best wines of the property. Of course, tradition would have it that one should not declare two Vintages in a row, but this is something we have done before, with for example the 1966 and 1967 declarations, and recently the 2003 and 2004. So in a way it is a Noval tradition to be different. My own feeling is that if a wine is of the quality to be declared as a Quinta do Noval Vintage then we should do it, and I am very happy to present the 2008 Vintage Quinta do Noval to the wine lovers of the world.”  

Quinta da Romaneira Vintage Port 2008 – though Christian Seely is part owner and managing director of Romaneira, it’s a very different kettle of fish from the Noval.  Grippier/sturdier and more savoury (mocha and green coffee bean), its sweet core of fruit sitting a little apart from the fiery alcohol at the moment.  Needs time to come into balance.  

By days 2 and 3, it has relaxed a little, revealing an ample concentration of dark liquorice and chocolate edged black fruits which helps to redress the balance vis a vis the tannins and alcohol, though it’s still quite sullen!  I still pick up a hint of green too.  One to put away for several years and, though it seems gutsier than the Noval, the Noval’s balance suggests it will keep going for longer.