Quinta do Noval LBV Port 2023 is an unfiltered Late Bottled Vintage port from Portugal's Douro Valley, bottled at 19.5% ABV (750ml). Quinta do Noval pioneered the LBV category in 1958, making this the original house of the style. The line carries a Wine-Searcher aggregate score of 90/100 across recent vintages, reflecting its consistent critical standing. Quick Facts: ABV: 19.5% | Origin: Douro, Portugal | Late Bottled Vintage (5 Years Cask-Aged) | Producer: Quinta do Noval Production & Heritage Quinta do Noval is one of the oldest and most respected port houses in the Douro Valley, with a history stretching back to 1715. The estate created the very first Late Bottled Vintage port in 1958, establishing a category that dozens of producers have since adopted. For the LBV, grapes — a traditional field blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão, and Sousão — are trodden by foot in granite lagares, fermented over three days, then aged for a full five years in oak casks before bottling. Crucially, Noval treats its LBV exactly like a vintage port: only estate-grown noble varieties are used, and the wine is released unfiltered, preserving structure and depth that filtered LBVs rarely achieve. Tasting Notes Aroma: Deep ruby in the glass with an intense, layered nose. Ripe blackberry and dark cherry lead into dried violets, followed by darker notes of cocoa and baking spice. Taste: The entry is rich and round with fine-grained tannins and balanced sweetness. Mid-palate, concentrated black cherry and fig flavors develop alongside smoky, peppery spice and a streak of licorice. Blueberry and coffee emerge as the wine opens, framed by fresh acidity that keeps everything in proportion. Finish: Long and satisfying, with lingering dark fruit, nutty undertones, and a subtle cocoa bitterness. The tannin structure carries through cleanly, inviting another sip. How to Drink Noval LBV Serve slightly below room temperature — around 16–18°C (61–64°F) — in a tulip-shaped glass that concentrates the aromatics. Because this is unfiltered, gentle decanting for 30 minutes to an hour helps separate any natural sediment and opens the wine beautifully. For mixed drinks, Noval LBV works in a Port Tonic, where its concentrated fruit and spice stand up to the quinine bitterness over ice; a Porto Flip, the classic cocktail with egg yolk and nutmeg that benefits from the wine's rich body and cocoa notes; and a Portoni (port Negroni riff), where the LBV's tannic backbone and dark fruit replace sweet vermouth with real complexity. Best For Gifting a port enthusiast who appreciates unfiltered, traditional-method wines Post-dinner sipping alongside a cheese course or dark chocolate Building a vertical or horizontal port tasting around LBV expressions Introducing serious wine drinkers to fortified wines through a benchmark producer Frequently Asked Questions What does Noval LBV taste like? It delivers concentrated dark cherry, blackberry, and fig flavors layered with chocolate, coffee, and peppery spice, held together by firm but polished tannins and balanced acidity. How does Noval LBV compare to Graham's LBV? Graham's LBV is typically filtered and ready to drink on release with a softer, more approachable profile, while Noval's LBV is bottled unfiltered and treated like a vintage port, resulting in greater tannin structure and aging potential. Both sit in similar price and scoring ranges, but Noval's foot-treading and estate-only sourcing give it a more concentrated, terroir-driven character. Is Noval LBV good for sipping neat? Absolutely — the unfiltered bottling and five years of cask aging give it enough complexity and tannic framework to reward slow, contemplative sipping on its own, especially after brief decanting. Where is Noval LBV made? It is produced at the Quinta do Noval estate in the Douro Valley, Portugal, one of the region's oldest port houses, founded in 1715 and credited with creating the LBV category in 1958. What foods pair well with Noval LBV? Strong blue cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort match its tannic grip and sweetness; dark chocolate truffles echo the cocoa and coffee notes; slow-braised lamb shanks complement the wine's weight and spice; dried figs and walnuts mirror its fruit and nutty undertones; and crème brûlée provides a contrasting textural pairing with its caramelized richness. What sizes does Noval LBV come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle, which is the most widely available format. Is Noval LBV worth the price? Noval LBV positions as a mid-premium Late Bottled Vintage port, priced above most filtered LBVs but justified by its unfiltered, foot-trodden, estate-sourced production — a method more typically associated with vintage ports costing significantly more. Why Noval LBV? Quinta do Noval invented the Late Bottled Vintage category in 1958, and no other producer can claim that lineage. While most modern LBVs are filtered for convenience and early drinking, Noval continues to release its LBV unfiltered and foot-trodden in stone lagares, using only noble grape varieties grown on the estate itself. The five-year cask maturation and hands-off bottling approach deliver a wine with the depth and structure of far more expensive vintage ports. For anyone seeking an authentic, traditionally made LBV from the house that started it all, this is the definitive expression of the style.
