Quinta do Noval

Quinta do Noval first appeared in Portuguese land registries in 1715, originally gifted by the Marquês do Pombal to the Rebello Valente family. The estate suffered severely during the phylloxera crisis but was acquired by António José da Silva in 1894 and painstakingly restored through replanting. The 1931 Vintage Port declaration built Noval's international reputation, cementing its status among the great Port houses. A catastrophic fire struck the estate in 1981 during Van Zeller family ownership, but the house survived and continued to produce exceptional wines. In 1993, the AXA Millésimes insurance group acquired Quinta do Noval, the current owner.

• First documented in land registries in 1715
• Restored by António José da Silva after phylloxera devastation from 1894
• The 1931 vintage established Noval's global reputation
• Acquired by AXA Millésimes in 1993

The estate covers 145-200 hectares of terraced vineyards on extremely steep slopes above the Douro and Pinhão rivers, ranging from 90 to 550 metres elevation. This spread creates approximately a 3°C temperature difference between the lowest and highest points, allowing for nuanced ripening across the estate. Soils are predominantly schistous rock and schist mixed with clay, the classic substrate of the Douro. The grape varieties grown include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, Sousão, Tinta Barroca, and Tinta Francisca. Within the broader estate sits the legendary 6-acre Nacional parcel, where ungrafted vines survived phylloxera. Nacional Vintage Port is declared only in exceptional years and produces just 200-300 cases, with the 1963 widely regarded as the greatest Port ever made.

• Elevation ranges from 90 to 550 metres, creating 3°C temperature variation across the estate
• Schist and clay soils typical of the Douro's high-quality terroir
• Nacional's ungrafted vines are pre-phylloxera survivors on just 6 acres
• Only 200-300 cases of Nacional are produced when declared

Quinta do Noval holds a unique distinction as the only historic Port shipper that bears the name of its own vineyard. The estate produces single-vineyard Vintage Ports exclusively from its own estate, separating it from the blending practices of most shippers. Noval introduced the Late Bottled Vintage style in 1958 and was the first to release blended tawnies with age indication, both practices now standard across the Port trade. In 1997, Noval became the first major Port house to centralize all its activities in the Douro rather than in Vila Nova de Gaia. Dry Douro table wines were first released in 2004, adding another dimension to the estate's portfolio.

• Only historic Port shipper named after its own estate
• Introduced Late Bottled Vintage Port in 1958
• First to release blended tawnies with a stated age indication
• First major Port house to centralize operations in the Douro Valley (1997)

Quinta do Noval produces Vintage Port, Nacional Vintage Port, Tawny Port, Late Bottled Vintage Port, and dry red and white Douro wines. All grapes harvested at the estate are crushed by foot in traditional lagares, preserving the connection to centuries-old Port-making practice. The dry Douro wines were first released in 2004. Nacional remains the jewel of the portfolio, declared only in the finest vintages and commanding extraordinary prices on the secondary market due to its rarity and the mythic status of benchmark releases like 1931 and 1963.

• Full range includes Vintage, LBV, Tawny, Nacional, and dry Douro wines
• All grapes foot-trodden in traditional lagares on the estate
• Dry Douro wines introduced to the portfolio in 2004
• Nacional declarations are rare; the 1931 and 1963 are benchmark releases