CH’NG Poh Tiong
Quinta do Noval declares three labels of 2022 vintage – Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port 2022; Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2022; and Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2022 .
It was a year of extremes, both very hot and very dry.
“Such extremes are not entirely unprecedented: similar conditions were experienced in the great vintages of 2017 and 1945. As in these years, the 2022 demonstrated the remarkable resilience of our terroir and of our Douro varieties. The vines remained extremely healthy throughout the year, with very little disease pressure. Remarkably, the vines remained surprisingly green and free from water stress.” Managing Director of AXA Millesimes Christian Seely said.
Englishman Christian Seely is Managing Director of AXA Millesimes, owner of Quinta do Noval (and Chateau Pichon Baron)
Noval has a 2-hectare plot unaffected by phylloxera. The miracle is named NACIONAL
Quinta do Passadouro, once a neighbour of Quinta do Noval, has been lovingly cared for by the Bohrmann family since their acquisition in 1991. It was acquired by Quinta do Noval in 2019
Quinta do Passadouro Vintage Port 2022 is made from Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinta Francisca and Sousão from three small parcels in the Pinhão Valley. The 2022 vintage is a selection of 550 cases of 12 bottles, representing 5% of the production.
Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2022 is produced using Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Sousão. The blend is made up of seven different lots from the Pinhão Valley and one from the Roncão Valley. The 2022 vintage is only 2,600 cases, representing 6.6% of the production.
Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2022 is produced using Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz. Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2022 is aged 18 months in oak and chestnut wood casks. The quinta reveals that the weather conditions are so extraordinary in 2022 that even their oldest and most seasoned vineyard workers can not remember ever having experienced anything similar.
“We knew from the start that Quinta do Noval Nacional Vintage Port 2022 is exceptional, and the wine has continued to develop wonderfully since the harvest, displaying the multi-layered complexity and depth that are typical of a great Nacional. Powerful and pure, it combines opulent richness, intensity and concentration with astonishing freshness.” Seely said.
