I found the following articles and thought they were worth to pass on. Happy reading.
Here is one from an interview with Christian Seely
Noval
I asked Seely whether he had any plans to make a table wine from Quinta do Noval. The answer is that one is soon to be released. ‘We have made one in the past, but not from the best grapes. We replanted lots of Noval’s vineyards in the period 1994–6, and now we are starting to have Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Cao in quantities to be able to start experimenting. In 2004 we came up with a wine worthy to bear the Noval name.’ 1000 cases will be produced. I mentioned to Seely that I’d been hugely impressed with the 2003 vintage Port from Noval. What was the secret? ‘It is the cumulative work that has taken place here since 1993’, he reports. Two things have changed: ‘We have been applying the same ruthlessness in the vineyard with respect to fruit that we do in Bordeaux: we reject shrivelled grapes and those with rot’. But this trie in the vineyard is not east to achieve: the pickers have a problem with wasting grapes. ‘It is difficult to get people to change their techniques, so we do a preliminary trie in the vineyard, picking out the rubbish fruit’, says Seely. The second change has been to replant much of the vineyard. Noval has 66 hectares, and 35 of these were replanted in the first three years, all with Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Cao, a bit of Tinta Barocca and a bit of Touriga Francesa. These 1994/5 replantings were in the 2003 Vintage Port.
Interesting that Bruno Prats says that the grapes for Chryseia come from the vineyards used for growing port grapes. This could be our first indication that SQVP and table wines will be competing for the same fruit.
It looks like a battle that will come down to the margin made on each kilo of grapes - do the grapes go into table wine or fortified wine?
This could be our first indication that SQVP and table wines will be competing for the same fruit.
Alex,
Actually it your 2nd indication. The first, was a thread that I started here, that seemed to get a lot of play. I'd bet that you even posted at least once in it! <----- w/o tax.
I think the most important question to pose to Mr. Seely is are they going make less port so they can make a dry red. And if so, how much less port, and of what type, is not going to be made
On a side note, Having tasted the 2003 VP from Noval, I would say the new plantings were doing quite well
About a month ago Roy posted a great link to a review of Portuguese red table wine (http://www.i-winereview.com/reports/i-w ... -22-06.pdf). I was supprised how many producers are using Nacional when blending table wines, some very successfully. A few are even producing very successful single variety wines using Nacional, including Cortes de Cima, Quinta do Crasto.
Andy V. wrote:I think the most important question to pose to Mr. Seely is are they going make less port so they can make a dry red. And if so, how much less port, and of what type, is not going to be made
On a side note, Having tasted the 2003 VP from Noval, I would say the new plantings were doing quite well
Derek, since 1993, Noval has double his total vines and has acquired 2 others vineyard, so I don't think there will be a shortage of grapes for any port or wines out there. Yes the wine is going to be soon released and some employees out there are already drinking some of the recent years and it is not bad at all from what I've heard. I'll try to get a glass of it soon :)
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
Andy I've chat with a Noval employee this morning and they are good chance that the wine will be release after this summer under "Quinta do Noval" label.
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
I finally had a 2004 yesterday and will be trying it again today as it has had more time to aerate in the bottle. Report forthcoming. I will be trying quite a few of the ´04s during this trip and our guests this fall will get to try them as well as hopefully some barrel sampling of the 2005s.
In an email from Christian Seely I have been informed that Quinta do Noval did declare the 2004. Folks coming along on the trip will get to try the cask sample.
Now posted on their web site in the Newsletter section, Noval has announced it has produced just 1000 cases of 2004 Vintage Port. Hope to get my hands on a bottle or three....
We tried the '04 Noval VP on the trip and I was good, but not the level of the 2003. Just a few notches down, but still very good and I plan on buying some when they show up on the market.
As for the dry wine: We tried this also, if i wrote it down right , it was called 2004 "Cedro" under Q.d. Noval label and will retail for about $20.00 (USD).
I am new to this forum, but have been reading it since the beginning.
I'm a portlover since 6 years and have about 200 bottles of port in a wine fridge. My first serious buy were the 2000 VP bottles and last year the 2003 VP bottles. Have a lot of 2003 since it is my daughters year of birth. Even bought a nacional from that year. Hope to do the same with the 2005 VP, its my son's birthyear.
I hope I can contribute somewhat on this forum, but I am not as well known to port as most of you.
Last but not least: Dear Roy, I am wondering when your 2004 VP review is coming? Some stores in the Netherlands are pre-selling already.
Hi Andy,
This is their list at this moment, there is more to come. Prices are in euro's. The Taylor's looks like a good price. Vesuvio looks expensive, its the same price as a 2003.
I also saw a vinha velha 2004 for sale somewhere in Switserland. (via wine-searcher)
Churchill's Quinta da Gricha 0.750 vintage port 42.95
Dow's Quinta da Senhora da Ribeira 0.750 Dow's vintage port 36.95
Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 0.375 vintage port 22.95
Fonseca Quinta do Panascal 0.750 vintage port 41.95
Fonseca Guimaraens 0.750 vintage port 41.95
Fonseca Guimaraens Vintage 1.500 vintage port 80.95
Fonseca Guimaraens 0.375 Fonseca Guimaraens 21.95
Kopke 0.750 Kopke vintage port 25.95
Kopke Kopke 0.375 Kopke vintage port 13.95
Krohn Quinta do Retiro Novo 0.750 18.95
Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas 0.750 vintage port 33.95
Taylor's Quinta de Vargellas 0.375 vintage port 20.95
Quinta do Vesuvio 0.750 vintage port 52.95
Very nice to have you join our Forum. I was looking forward to having someone new participate here and your posts are refreshing.
I plan to do my 2004 Vintage Port Forecast in the December 2006 issue of the FTLOP newsletter. I have only tasted a couple of dozen wines from the 2004 vintage, but certainly enough to get a solid impression.
You are correct that there will be a Quinta de Vargellas Vinha Velha produced in 2004, only the fourth release of this rare nectar. We won't see any in the USA for another two years if history repeats itself.
Interesting pre-release pricing on the '04 VPs and thanks for posting them. Again, welcome aboard and we're glad you stopped just being a "lurker" in time for the holidays.
Please do add your last name to your profile when you have a moment.
I was just at K&L here in the Bay (Redwood City store) and saw that they had both the 2004 Vesuvio and the 2004 Quinta Senhora da Ribeira in the store and for sale, at $49 and $44 respectively.
<----- w/o tax.
