For The Love Of Port

We thought it would be interesting to taste these two beauties alongside in a mini Noval vertical. Both from 1/2 bottle format...

Noval Colheita 1974

Mid amber mahogany cut through with a hint of ruby. Sweet 'porty' nose with a slight oxidised Madeira hint. A very rich almost creamy mouthfeel with mellow flavours of caramel and red cherries. In the background, a hint of coffee grounds and a distinctly ‘sweet & sour’ aspect to the flavour profile, vaguely reminiscent of sloes. Medium sweet with amazing grip and a cutting clean finish. Very good.


Noval Colheita 1986

A lovely deep rich amber with a ruby hint – a really lovely looking glass of port. Warm rich ripe flavours of dried figs and plum jam. A great balance between the sweet midweight entry and a fresh grippy long lingering finish. A really elegant wine but with plenty of power in reserve. Outstanding.

I know Roy likes the '74, but for my and my tasting buddy's palate, the '86 seemed to have everything the '74 had and more. A fresher wine as you'd expect, but a bit more power and depth of flavour as well.

So I bought a case.

Nice TN's, thanks! What were the bottling dates of the ports?

The 1974 was 2004 and the 1986 was 2003.

Philip,

Thanks for your TNs and impressions of the wines. IF we all liked the exact same ones, this would be a pretty boring place. I prefer the diversity of opinions. Thanks for yours.