Noval Tawny Port

Quinta do Noval sits on the left bank of the Pinhão river in the Douro Valley, its vineyards terraced on steep schist slopes. This Fine Tawny is a blend of several vintages dominated by the traditional Douro grapes Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca. The Douro's hot, dry summers and poor schist soils give small, concentrated grapes, and the wine is fortified with grape spirit during fermentation to stop it before all the sugar converts, leaving the warming, gently sweet style of Port. What sets a Tawny apart is the ageing: the wine is matured in seasoned oak casks where slow, controlled contact with oxygen browns the colour from purple to amber and develops the nutty, dried-fruit character of the style, while blending across vintages keeps it consistent. The colour is amber, the nose floral, nutty and spiced, and the palate silky and balanced with dried fig, toffee, walnut and cinnamon through a long, complex finish. Serve lightly chilled at around 14 to 16 degrees in a small glass. It suits nuts, hard cheese and chocolate or caramel desserts.