From as early as 1715, registers mention the name "Quinta do Noval". This exceptional property is located in the heart of the Douro Valley, near the village of Pinhão, in the Duriense region of northwestern Portugal. António José da Silva, a merchant at the port of Gaia in Porto, acquired Quinta do Noval in 1894, after it was ravaged by the devastating phylloxera aphid. Subsequently, his son-in-law Luiz Vasconcelos Porto set up a major program to renovate the vineyard. In particular, he transformed the narrow, dry stone terraces that shape the landscape of the Douro vineyards by widening them. Revolutionary at the time, this method promotes better use of space and sunlight. Treated with lime, these white terraces remain a source of great pride for the Quinta do Noval estate.
Due to exceptional climatic conditions, Quinta do Noval decided to declare the 1931 vintage, producing a Vintage Port and a Vintage Nacional. Because of the challenges brought on by global recession and the large shipments of 1927 Vintage Port, only 3 Port houses declared the 1931 Port Vintage. And so, Quinta do Noval established itself as a leader on the American and English markets.
One of the elite houses of Port, Quinta do Noval became part of the AXA Millésimes group in 1993. Christian Seely has managed the group since 2000.
The identity of this prestigious house revolves around its vineyards, which represent a foundation for the wines of Quinta do Noval. This is the only House of Port whose name includes the name of its vineyard, fully qualified as A, the highest qualification attributed in the classification of Port vineyards. Quinta do Noval is the owner of the legendary plot that produces the “Nacional Vintage”. This rare Port, declared only in the very best years, comes from a plot that was untouched by phylloxera. Produced in very small quantities, with grapes from a single terroir, the Nacional Vintage Port by Quinta do Noval is today one of the most sought after Port wines in the world.
Vintage after vintage, the consistency of style and the extraordinary quality of its Port wines have made Quinta do Noval an iconic estate, held in highest esteem by Port purists around the world.
