Domain: Quinta do Noval Late Bottled Vintage

The Douro valley, which is inextricably associated with the port produced there, is famed for its untamed landscapes. The vines cling to the steep sinuous valley slopes of the Douro and its tributaries. Quinta do Noval is located in the heart of the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, in the Cima Corgo region. The domaine has existed since 1715 and has demonstrated surprising creativity. The first branded bottles were introduced by Noval in the 1920s. Noval pioneered the concept of old tawny ports with an age designation (10, 20 or 40 years) and was the first house to introduce a late bottled vintage – Quinta do Noval LBV, 1954. In 1981, a catastrophic blaze ripped through the Noval wine cellar, destroying 350,000 litres of stock, 20,000 bottles of 1978 port, and over two centuries of archives. The domaine spans 70 hectares at altitudes ranging from 100 metres at river level to 350 metres above sea level at the top of the valley. For over a century, the domaine was owned by the de Rebella Valenta family, to whom it was given by the Marquis do Pombal, the powerful Prime minister of Portugal. Noval was acquired in 1993 by AXA Millésimes. After more than 10 years of investments and hard work, Quinta do Noval is now widely considered to be one of the finest names in port.

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