1997 Quinta do Noval, 12-bottle Lot, Wood Case

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.

Portugal is best known for its two legendary fortified wines, Port and Madeira, but it also produces significant amounts of red and white table wine. In most years it ranks around the 10th or 11th largest wine producer in the world. In 2013, for instance, Portugal was the 11th largest producer just after Germany. Wine has always been produced in Portugal and in fact the country was the first to organize an appellation system, which it did in 1756, nearly 200 years before the French set up their appellations. The highest quality wines are labeled D.O.C. for Denominaçào de Origem Controlada. Many of the most innovative winemakers today, however, are avoiding the appellation system, which they deem too stifling for modern winemaking practices. The Douro Valley is the nation’s most important wine producing region, and it is the capital of Port production. The Portuguese island of Madeira, located 400 miles west of Morocco, is the nation’s other famous wine region, having produced Madeira for export for more than 400 years. Many red and white wine grapes grow in Portugal, though the best known is Touriga Nacional, the red grape used for Port and, increasingly, high quality table wines. Touriga Nacional produces dark, tannic, fruity wines.