Noble & Murat Vintage Port 2015
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Traditional foot trodding in lagares where bunches are destemmed, but fermentation occurs adding back stems in layers. Fermentation is arrested with Spanish Moscato based grape spirit, which lends elegance. The wine is aged two to three years in 150 year-old seasoned chestnut vats, then rests in stainless steel before bottling.
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Juicy and engaging, with an ebullient mix of blueberry, plum and raspberry pâte de fruit notes bouncing through, laced liberally with anise and ganache details. A light briar hint gives the finish some grip and contrast. Best from 2030 through 2045.
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2017-
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The Noble & Murat winery is located in "Quinta do Bragão", at the border of Celeirós do Douro, in the middle of the Pinhão river valley and on its right bank (from here we can see Quinta do Fojo, Quinta do Passadouro, Quinta da Manoella, Quinta do Silval and further on Quinta do Noval). A winery with the typical ambience and a rare charm which is an expression of the Douro traditional wineries.
It is here, in this river valley that Alexandre Antas Botelho and António Borges Taveira families, the Noble & Murat partners, have their roots and a centuries long tradition of wine production, trading and export, since the sixteenth century. We can say with propriety that the Douro is in the soul of this house and is reflected in the Port wines it produces. A project closely linked to the Douro's viticulture roots.
It is important to remember that, in the Douro, wine production is carried out mainly in two ways, on the one hand, the "quintas", and on the other hand the isolated vineyards. Let us consider that, with the exception of large wine producers, owners of several "quintas" in the Douro, the wine production on the basis of a single "quinta", has to work with the vines and grapes of that specific property with its own characteristics, with a smaller and a more limited range of choice and less diversity than those producers, as is the case of Noble & Murat, which have at their disposal several vineyards, with different locations, with greater diversity and peculiarities, old vines and vineyards of different ages and grape varieties, located at different altitudes, climatic conditions and solar exposures. All theses factors allow the producer more possibilities and variety of choice and will confer greater richness, complexity and longevity to the final result, as we will see throughout this text.
Noble & Murat produces Port wine from 6 vineyards, 3 of which are owned by the firm's partners, with privileged and diversified locations in the Pinhão valley and in the Tedo valley (Cima Corgo Douro sub-region), with intense field work of constant monitoring and control.
Port is a sweet, fortified wine with numerous styles: Ruby, Tawny, Vintage, Late Bottled Vintage (LBV), White, Colheita, and a few unusual others. It is blended from from the most important red grapes of the Douro Valley, based primarily on Touriga Nacional with over 80 other varieties approved for use. Most Ports are best served slightly chilled at around 55-65°F.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.