Wine Region: Douro

(2025) A blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz from Familia Carvalho Martins, there's a hint of elegant transparency to the bright ruby colour. Pleasantly fruity, with ripe summer berries, a hint of something herbal and minty that adds freshness. In the mouth this hits a lovely summery place, with sweetness and ripeness, something like pomegranate perhaps that leaves it light on its feet as elegant cherry-ripe acidity emerges in a gently spicy finish.

(2025) Not that much darker than the 50 Years White, but with more of a ruby hue to the colour. The nose again has that lovely, mellow, burnished character of nuttiness and dark mollases and raisins. But again, there is a freshness suggested by some citrus and a lifted, light shellac character. In the mouth sweet with 129 g/l of sugar, and more mellow and arguably more simple than the white. It is absolutely delicious, warming as it finishes between spice, toffee and that freshness.

(2025) Pouring a deep, burnished gold, this is an instantly powerful wine aromatically. Soaring from the glass are wonderfully warming aromas of walnut and toffee, a yeasty breadiness, some lemon and glycerine and hints of old polished furniture. With just over 100g/l of resudual sugar this has sweetness, really quite unctuous with caramel and fudge, but that vibrancy of lemon fruit is remarkable. Intense, golden raisin depth marries with coffee and chocolate in the finish, powered by perfect acidity and the golden richness of age.

(2024) If you have tried Noval's LBV before you are in for a treat: unflitered and aged five years in casks, the fruit (Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão) comes from their own vineyard and is trodden by foot in traditional lagares. It has a heavenly nose, spices and intense floral and dried fruit notes combine with juicier blueberry and a hint of dark cocoa. The palate is powerful and structured, framed by powdery tannins but abundantly sweet with 90g/l of residual sugar it seems endlessly long. This will also cellar for a decade or more. Watch the video for more information.

(2024) The Noval Douro Reserva Branco 2021 is a blend of Viosinho and Gouveio, a selection of the Quinta's best white grapes. In many ways, this evokes fine white Burgundy for me, in both it's texture and some flavour and aromatic aspects. The touch of cedar and toast from barrels is evident, creamy and nutty notes over firm orchard fruits and hints of an earthy minerality. The palate has juiciness, but weight and nutty texture and creaminess. Nicely judged acidity is stony and citrussy, pure and elegant into the long and tapering finish. I've enjoyed every vintage of this wine that I've tasted, though I think this is my favourite so far. Sadly I can see no UK retail stockists at time of review, so I hope that picture changes in the future.

(2024) A Christmas gift idea with a difference, or just a chance to indulge in miniatures of four fine Ports along with four matching chocolate bars. Vinte Vinte Chocolate is owned by leading Port producer, The Fladgate partnership, and produced in Vila Nova de Gaia. Master Chocolate Maker, Pedro Martins Araújo, has crafted chocolates intended to perfectly harmonise with each of the Port styles in the selection. The Port and chocolate pairings are the fruity Fonseca Bin 27 with a classic, 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate, the more full-bodied Taylor’s Late Bottled Vintage with a 58% dark chocolate and the mellow Taylor’s 10-Year-Old Tawny with a milk chocolate of 35% cocoa solids. Also in the selection, Taylor’s Chip Dry White Port, matched to a white chocolate. A fold-out guide to the tasting is included, but in a nice touch, a QR code also leads to an online video guide, led by Pedro Martins Araújo. It's available from the stockists below and many independent wine merchants. Watch my video review for more information.

(2024) Typical Douro blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz and Sousão from vineyards at 450 to 650 metres altitude. The wine spent 12 months in French oak barriques. It has a most attractive tove nose, sweet black fruits with an elegant sheen of vanilla, touches of espresso and, to balance, violet, add layers of interest. A balsamic edge of sweet and savoury character lies o er the rich black fruit of the palate, the whole picture balanced with enough structure, but a hint of sumptuous richness.

(2024) Fantastic aromatics here, the floral bouquet and such ripe black and red berry fruit, solid blackcurrant but the graphite quality of the fruit and possibly barrels adds so much character. Smooth, seamless quality to this, creamy tannins and focused, mineral acidity. One of the group thought this was slightly corked, and I could detect something that sat between the high-toned florality and very mild corkiness, but it drank really well.

(2023) Made from all local varieties led by Viosinho and Gouveio, with Arinto, Códega do Larinho and Rabigato making up another 20%. The blend was aged in barrels, 20% of which were new, for six months. A wine I've tasted in several previous vintages, but what a fine effort this is in 2021. The barrels add a layer of gentle oatmeal and toast, but this is really about ripe but clean and pure citrus and orchard fruits. This has weight and texture, a little nutty barrel weight beneath, but the dazzling freshness of the fruit and decisive acid line is most impressive. A Christmas banker for fish through to roast chicken or turkey. Watch the video for more information.

(2023) A rare beast, a tawny Port blended from wines matured for five decades in oak casks, a collector’s edition released in very limited quantities. A dark tany/caramel in colour, the nose is resinous and deep, polished wood, meatiness of umami, plus clove and cinammon spices. In the mouth, extraordinary raisiny intensity, marmalade and mollases coating prune, and yet intense angelica brilliance too. Plenty of acidity against the chocolate richness of the finish.