The 2022 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port is a robust and multifaceted red wine from the Douro region of Portugal. This proprietary blend, featuring varietals such as Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Cão, Sousão, and Tinta Roriz, is a testament to the warm vintage yet maintains a pure and elegant profile.
Jeb Dunnuck offers high praise, awarding it a score of 97, and describes it as a "blockbuster" with a "dense purple hue" and a rich array of "jammy blackberry, plums, sandalwood, baking spices, and a kiss of chocolate." He notes its "remarkable purity" and "full-bodied richness," highlighting its velvety tannins and seamless elegance. Dunnuck advises that while the Port is approachable now, it will benefit from a decade to develop secondary aromatics and has the potential to age gracefully for 40 years or more.
James Suckling, who rates it at 95, calls it a "huge, monumental wine" with "heady, bold aromas" and flavors that include "blackberry jam, road tar, dark chocolate and espresso." He emphasizes its long, sweet finish and suggests it will be best from 2037 onward.
Vinous, also providing a score of 95, appreciates the "wonderful delineation and focus" of the wine, with aromas of "black cherries, raspberry coulis, licorice, cigar humidor and light pine touches." Neal Martin notes the superb balance and cohesion on the finish, attributing its larger declaration to Christian Seely's confidence in the vintage.
Wine Spectator gives it a 96, highlighting its "distinctive" character with "menthol, pine, and bay leaf hints" and a "zesty core" of berry flavors. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate describes it as "tannic and concentrated," with "noticeable sweetness" and a "big structure," rating it 94+.
Overall, the 2022 Quinta do Noval Vintage Port is a complex and powerful wine, promising decades of enjoyment for those patient enough to let it age.