Porto Vintage 2014 75cl

The 2014 Vintage Port is a typical Douro field blend (bottled in September, 2016) with 101 grams per liter of residual sugar and 19.5% alcohol. This is filled with charm. I will say that it showed better in Porto as a barrel sample over the summer than it does now--it has closed up a bit after bottling. I'm going with my initial impression, because it should come back. Wonderfully aromatic and laced with herbs and spice, it is easy to see why it will be attractive. Its limitations are easy to see, too. It is probably a bit too compact for greatness, not really showing a lot of depth--even at age 15, the 2001 Nacional reviewed last issue surpassed it easily--and the structure is just average compared to some old-school examples from Noval. This still has many moments, though. If it is a bit light, it is fresh and lively, with just enough structure to carry on. It will certainly develop more complexity with age. At the moment, it is shockingly approachable, except for lacking truly expressive fruit. That should come in time--it was much tastier in Porto. About an hour in the glass, after use of an aerator, brought it around pretty well. If you have read my table wine article this year, you will see many comments on the very difficult 2014 vintage. You might wonder why Noval declared a Vintage Port in this rather miserable year for most of Portugal and most of Douro--continuing Noval's very admirable effort to push the declaration envelope (having recently declared 2011, 2012, 2013 and now 2014 in a row). Good for them, is all I can say. Christian Seely said, "We might have avoided controversy by not declaring this Vintage of 2014, but I found the wine absolutely irresistible and had no hesitation at all in declaring this very small quantity (1,000 cases)..." Well, even if it is not the greatest Noval, so what? We sometimes pay for famous table wines in modest vintages that cost more and won't age nearly as well. Why should Port be any different? This holds its own pretty decently.<br/>The last time I saw Noval's age-indicated tawnies, I was very impressed. Nothing has changed my mind. These are among my favorites—concentrated, classic and focused. The longer they sit in barrel, the longer they can be held, but wines with bar-top corks are not meant to be held, so dive in. They certainly don't need to be aged. Remember also: no aged tawny should be drunk anywhere near room temperature. Take it out of the fridge and let it warm in the glass. Try it at different places. See what you like best. Most would suggest that 58-62 degrees Fahrenheit will be the sweet spot, depending on the wine and your taste. Finally, the others are pretty fine, too. For a young Colheita, that 2003 has a lot of pop and concentration.