Quinta do Noval Tawny Port Colheita 1997 (with Gift Box)

The Portuguese word colheita means ‘harvest’. A Colheita Port must be from a single year and aged for a minimum of seven years in wood before bottling. In practice many are aged for considerably longer (as is the case at Noval) and so Colheita Ports can vary greatly in style.

Noval’s Colheita is only made in exceptional years, when certain lots of wine with great aging potential are set aside to be aged in cascos (old casks with a capacity of 640 litres). When Noval feels the wine is ready—usually after about 15 years—a portion is bottled for release. The rest of the stocks of will continue to age in barrel for bottlings in the future.

The 1997 presents as lithe and muscular, with laser-focused drive and pinpoint acidity, matched to a svelte palate branded with beautiful flavours of spice, and a walnut and coffee cake finish that lasts an age.