QUINTA DO NOVAL LBV 2016 75CL

2016 was a year of extremes: in a mild winter with high rainfall, the 618 mm was twice that of an average year. After a rainy spring, the summer was very hot and dry, with some extreme heat spikes in August and September. At the end of August the harvest looked to be of extremely high quality, in excellent phytosanitary conditions, but ripening began to slow down due to the very hot and dry conditions. Fortunately, 17 millimetres of much-needed rain fell on 13 September, and ripening continued under ideal conditions from that point onwards. The main part of the harvest began on 19 September with dry weather and plenty of sunshine, and the grapes continued to ripen throughout the remainder of the harvest. We were thus able to harvest each plot in ideal conditions as it ripened. Despite the unusual and extreme weather conditions of the year, the end result is of excellent quality. The wines are balanced and fresh, very aromatic and expressive. The dry red wines have good colour, are beautifully structured and have good acidity. The Port wines are exceptional, with excellent structure, intense, vibrant fruit and very expressive flavours.