Quinta do Noval

Quinta do Noval sits high above the Douro river near Pinhão, on schist terraces that have been producing wine since at least the seventeenth century. Acquired by AXA Millésimes — the same group behind Pichon Baron and Suduiraut — in 1993, the estate was painstakingly restored and now stands as one of the reference points for both vintage Port and dry Douro reds.

The crown jewel is Nacional: a tiny parcel of ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines that survived the late-nineteenth-century devastation that wiped out most of Europe's vineyards. Nacional is produced only in exceptional years and in tiny quantities — rarely more than 250 cases. It is widely considered one of the most complex and age-worthy fortified wines in the world, capable of lasting a century.

Beyond Nacional, Quinta do Noval produces a full range of Vintage Ports — Silval, Colheita, LBV — and increasingly impressive dry reds from old Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz vines. The combination of extreme terroir, historic vineyards and meticulous winemaking makes Noval an essential visit for any serious wine lover in the Douro.