2000 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port – Quinta do Noval’s Millennium Year
A bottle from the year 2000 naturally holds special significance. But the Quinta do Noval Vintage Port from that vintage is more than just a symbolic millennium wine. It is a Port from a significant year in the Douro, crafted to age in the bottle over a long period of time.
Generally Recognized Vintage Port Vintage
2000 is one of the widely declared Vintage Port vintages. In this vintage year, numerous port houses chose to release their best wines as Vintage Port. This widespread declaration underscores the exceptional reputation of the harvest in the Douro, while each producer maintains its own style and selection.
Regular, Vintage, and Nacional
In 2000, Quinta do Noval released both a standard Vintage and a separate Nacional. The Nacional comes from a small plot of ungrafted vines and is a separate selection. As a result, both bottlings showcase different aspects of the same harvest.
The Story of the Vintage
The 2000 harvest is considered a strong Vintage Port year in the Douro. For Quinta do Noval, it offers an interesting contrast to the famous 1994: not only age, but also the growing season determines how concentration and freshness develop over the years.
The character of the wine
Quinta do Noval owns its own vineyards in the Douro, where the combination of steep slopes and poor schist soils produces powerful grapes. For its Vintage Port, the house selects wines that have sufficient concentration and structure to be bottled young and then allowed to age slowly. This process differs significantly from the extended barrel aging of Tawny Port.
In a well-preserved 2000 vintage, notes of blackberries, black currants, and plums may still be present, alongside more mature nuances of cocoa, spices, and dried fruit. Over the years, the tannins become more integrated into the overall profile. It is precisely this combination of fruit, structure, and complexity that makes a Vintage Port so interesting after more than a quarter-century.
Enjoying This Port
Anyone opening this wine would be wise to take sediment into account. Stand the bottle upright beforehand, and after carefully decanting it, pour it into large glasses. A leisurely tasting does this vintage more justice than a rushed occasion.
Discover more
Also discover 1995 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port and check out the Port Selection from Port2Port.
