2016 Quinta do Noval Douro Touriga Nacional

Quinta do Noval dates its history to the early 18th century. Nearly destroyed by the phylloxera that swept through the Douro Valley in the 1880s, it was sold in 1894 to Antonio Jose da Silva, a Port shipper. He and his son modernized and improved the estate and, as an astute marketer, da Silva concentrated on getting his Ports into the elite men’s clubs in London and England’s most prestigious universities. In the 20th century Quinta do Noval was the first Port producer to use stenciled bottles and to sell its Tawnies based on age. Though a fire ravaged the estate in 1981, the company recovered and in 1993 sold the estate to AXA Millesimes, an insurance conglomerate that also owns numerous wine estates in Bordeaux. Quinta do Noval owns 247 acres of vineyards planted to Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cao, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Sousao and Tinta Amarela. Annual production is 10,000 – 20,000 Bottles.

Douro is Portugal’s most prestigious appellation, thanks to the fact that the country’s famous Port wines have always come from the Douro. Douro, the appellation, is named for the Douro River which runs through northern Portugal. The region is mountainous and rocky, with very poor soil and harsh weather conditions because of proximity to the Atlantic. Nevertheless, vineyards have always existed there on terraced parcels of land surrounded by walls to protect the vines from wind. Most of the famous Port makers have quintas, or estates, in this region. In recent decades the Douro has developed a reputation for table wines as well as Ports, and today there are two sub-appellations within the Douro, one for table wines and one for Port. Numerous grapes are allowed within the Douro, but the main red grapes grown are Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo.) The main white grapes are Esgana Cao, Folgosado and Verdelho. Besides the historic connection to Port wines – which were highly coveted in England and other parts of Europe as early as the 17th century – the region is also home to Portugal’s best table wines, including Barca Velha.