Quinta do Noval Nacional, 1963 Vintage Port
Noval Nacional Level in Neck- Good Label ***99/100 - Robert Parker***
Bottle size: 75cl
ABV: 20%
Price:
$6,367.57 USD
Description
Noval is particularly famous for its Nacional, a Port produced in some years only from a 2 hectare parcel at the heart of the Noval vineyard where ungrafted pre phylloxera vines survive.
"Last July I enjoyed this "legend" at Noval and consumed my share of an entire bottle that was opened for our small group of Port journalists. This VP had a very dark ruby color and was clearly from a perfectly stored bottle. The 1963 is as lithe and graceful as a trapeze artist, and showed what perfection in balance is all about. It is not easy for Port to get much better than this. Sweet, spicy, grapey, mint, big, bold, brash are all apt descriptors. But what struck me most (and I held onto this for well over an hour), was its completeness. It simply showed the awe inspiring integration of each and every component. The aromas danced while the flavors tingled and the finish ... well, it just never did! The acidity level and tannic structure and silky mouthfeel were all essential parts of this phenomenon. " Roy Hersh, The Port Forum
A perfect bottle. Immense. Closed, deep, spicy. Very fresh and rich, stellar fruit, christmas spices, a clenched iron fist but the glove is not quite velvety yet. Enormously structured. Too young, believe it or not. Drink from 2020. Will easily live to be 100 years. Perfection. A humbling experience.
Learn more about Quinta do Noval
Condition
Excellent level in neck, label good.
Reviews
***99/100 - Robert Parker***
Amazingly, the importer still has tiny stocks of such legendary ports as the 1970, 1963, and 1962 Nacionals. In most vintages the production of Quinta do Noval Nacional is no more than 250-275 cases. The 1970,1963,1962 and 1994 are candidates to achieve perfect scores. The 1963 Nacional's opaque purple color is remarkable, looking more like a 1992 than a 33-year old port. The winepossessed a fabulously smoky, cassis, black-cherry, peppery nose. After thirty minutes in the glass, fruitcake notes and more evolved aromas emerged. This port is so concentrated it defies belief, with extraordinary balance, and, like its two siblings, well-integrated alcohol and tannin. The impression is one of a silky, succulent, voluptuously-textured mouthful of exceptionally extracted port. This is a legend in the making. In 30-40 years it may well be considered, along with the 1931, as one of the greatest ports ever produced. Those lucky few with a bottle or two should plan to hold onto them for another decade before pulling the cork. It, too, is a hundred-year port. Importer: William Grant & Sons, Edison, NJ; tel. (908) 225-9000