40 Year Old Tawny Port by Quinta do Noval

[Andy Velebil]

Bottled in 2008

A very light honey center that fades to a yellow edge with just a slight bit of light green. Such a perfumed seductive nose full of walnuts, honey suckle, and maple. This briefly starts out with thick maple syrup that quickly morphs to large amounts of nutmeg, mahogany, and some citrus that reminds me of orange blooms. While some 40 Year Old Tawny's lack the acidity to keep the profile fresh, this bottle is the exact opposite with it's massive acidity that sears all those flavors onto your mouth. This is one Port that doesn't stop and that includes the finish, full throttle all the way. This is a great example of a top notch 40 Year Old Tawny.
96 Points

[Glenn E.]

It's always a close call for me between this one and the Kopke. Both are amazing Ports!

[David Spriggs]

An awesome 40 year old. This is in my top three 40 year old.... possibly number one!

[Andy Velebil]

Dave and Glenn,

What is it about it that makes it stand out to you?

[Glenn E.]

For me, it's the bold and round flavor, perfect acidity, and amazing finish. I think in some technical sense that the Kopke might be a better Port - the Noval doesn't seem to be quite as complex or layered - but the Kopke's acid often borders on being too strong (bright, tart) for my taste. The Noval hasn't ever reached that point to me. There's a huge collection of flavors in either bottle, too. These are meant to be savored on their own over several hours. Don't clutter your palate with anything else (like dessert) because you'll just inhibit your ability to enjoy the Port.

I usually rate both in the 95-96 range. My last bottle of the Kopke seemed to have less prominent acidity, and it showed in my rating - 97.