2021 Noval Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port, Douro Valley

Loads of crushed blackberries with black cherries, wild flowers and wet bark. Forest flower fruits. Medium-bodied, medium sweet with polished and very fine tannins that run the length of the wine. Racy finish. Best after 2029 and beyond.

94 points jamessuckling.com

In 2019, Quinta do Noval acquired a second estate in Portugal’s Douro Valley: Quinta do Passadouro. Quinta do Passadouro dates back to the 18th century and has long been highly regarded for both its Port and table wines. The property is in the Cima Corgo sub-region, close to the village of Vale de Mendiz in the heart of the demarcated Douro region. Since 1991, the estate had been well run by the Bohrmann family (who also own a domaine in Meursault).
 
Passadouro is a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz, picked between 26th August and 8th October. The quinta’s vines range from 100 to 300 metres above sea level, which calls for such a prolonged, staggered harvest. Made in the same meticulous fashion as Noval’s own Vintage Port, the style here—while also one of class and sophistication—is more medium-bodied, youthfully buoyant and immedicably approachable than the Noval.
 
In 2021, only 6.5% of Passadouro’s production was used to craft this wine. It was bottled in May 2023 with 88 g/L residual sugar. It’s a harmonious and appealing vintage with notes of violet, plum and hints of dark chocolate, lovely intensity without any heaviness and a surprisingly delicate and fresh finish. It’s the most accomplished Passadouro we have shipped—perhaps unsurprising as this is the first vintage fully controlled by the Noval team.