2007 Quinta do Noval Colheita

The 2007 Colheita Tawny Port has a sublime nose with kirsch, Earl Grey, sandalwood and light tertiary scents, displaying ample vigor and freshness. The palate is smooth on the entry, almost viscous in texture, and spicy with a liberal sprinkling of black pepper and thyme. Perhaps a little shorter than other vintages, yet it still conveys a sense of presence and warmth (not alcoholic, rather ripeness deriving from the vines). Very fine.

A different beast compared to the 2009, the 2007 Colheita Tawny Port is a richer, more powerful, heady effort that still has complexity as well as balance. A normal field blend of mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, and other varieties, this ruby/garnet-hued Tawny takes a touch of air to show at its best but then gives up lots of mature, caramelized red and black fruits, cigar, tobacco leaf, candied orange, and chocolate. These carry to a full-bodied, heady, powerful Tawny that brings serious intensity yet at the same time is still nicely balanced and stays light on its feet, with a gorgeous finish. It's a seriously good Tawny to drink over the coming decade or two.

The 2007 Colheita Tawny Port is a typical field blend of grapes like Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Sousão and Tinta Roriz, bottled on March 2, 2021, with 120 grams of sugar, 21% alcohol and a long cork. Dark and stern, this young Colheita shows off more treacle and molasses than I would typically expect at this young age. It seems older than the vintage date suggests, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a young Colheita, and it also seems so rich that it is almost syrupy early on. Then it adds plenty of power. This is not the easiest or friendliest young Colheita, but it certainly has plenty of "wow" factor in terms of power, ripeness, concentration and complexity. A "wow" factor isn't always the final answer, though, and I'm not sure its balance will meet expectations. It sure isn't your typical young Colheita. Plus, the price here is rather high for a young Colheita. Whether you think this exceeds or thwarts your expectations might be a matter of taste in the long run. It's certainly very good in its big style and sometimes more than that, but at $90, perhaps it also needs to be unequivocally sensational. This does come with a long cork for those who want to try aging it. It is a myth that Tawnies never change, although they age slowly. I wonder if a few years in the cellar would smooth this out. In that regard, it did seem to drink better with a week in the fridge. At that point, I liked it a lot more. In any event, I'm leaning up on this because it does so much so well.