Quinta do Noval Nacional, 2022

'Nacional' Vintage Port, Douro

Description and Reviews:
Quinta do Noval Nacional is a much-venerated name in the Douro Valley and Nacional is undoubtedly one of the most legendary fortified wines in the world. It is produced from a small area at the heart of the Quinta do Noval vineyard planted with ungrafted vines that have remained untouched by Phylloxera and has an average production of between 250 and 275 cases.

Tasting Note
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2022 is characterised by outstanding power, structure and purity. It reveals beautiful aromas such as sweet dark fruits alongside bold, savory, spicy earthy tones. It's fresh and vibrant, with a touch of mint and liquorice. The palate is rich and opulent, showcasing delightful sweet fruits. There's an astonishing freshness present. It's beautifully pure and concentrated, with outstanding fruit clarity and structure. The palate bursts with super-concentrated, dense, and pure blackberry fruit. Its incredible intensity, tannic expression and depth are remarkable.

About Quinta do Noval Nacional
The Nacional parcel is a small area at the heart of the Quinta do Noval vineyard planted with ungrafted vines and untouched by phylloxera. The word “Nacional” refers to the fact that the vines are Portuguese vines growing in Portuguese soil with no foreign root stock, and are therefore “attached to the soil of the Nation”. This great wine is a source of pride to the people of Portugal, and at its best the finest expression of the extraordinary terroir of Quinta do Noval.

The Nacional is a unique and extraordinary phenomenon. It does not necessarily follow the same rhythm as the rest of the Quinta do Noval. In some years a Nacional is produced when Noval does not even declare the Quinta do Noval Vintage. In others, Quinta do Noval makes a great Vintage Port, and the Nacional does not perform. More often, we are able to make both a Quinta do Noval Vintage and a Nacional Vintage. But when this happens, the wines are always profoundly different.

Characteristics of the 2022 Vintage
2022 will stand out as a remarkably dry year with unprecedented weather conditions in our region. So extraordinary were these conditions that even our oldest and most seasoned vineyard workers could not remember ever having experienced anything similar. Nonetheless, this growing season also showed the remarkable resilience of the Douro’s vineyards and grape varieties.
The rainfall recorded at Quinta do Noval during the viticultural year was 364mm, 276mm below the 1970/2000 average. The weather conditions were favourable during flowering in May and during fruit set. With a high number of bunches, a good harvest was expected.
From the 7th to the 15th of July a heatwave brought daily temperatures above 40°C, even reaching 45,5°C at Quinta do Noval – and it was on July 15th that Pinhão recorded Portugal’s highest ever temperature at 47°C. From July 30th to August 10th, we experienced another heatwave with temperatures above 40°C.



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