Quinta do Noval Vintage Port 2000

97 points/'Highly Recommended,' Wine Spectator: "This is flat-out flush with gorgeous fruit pinned to a spine of dark earth. Starts with lush cassis, plum cake and boysenberry pâte de fruit flavors pumping through before a second load of anise, menthol, fruitcake and bramble kicks in mid-way. Then the tarry, earthy edge asserts itself, harnessing everything on the finish.—Blind 2000 Vintage Port retrospective (March 2021). Drink now through 2040. (7/22/21)"

96 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2000 Quinta Do Noval Vintage 96 is much stricter on the nose compared to the 1997 with very pure blackberry, boysenberry and blueberry fruit mixed with cigar box and flinty scents. It does not quite have the presence of the 1997 but it has focus and breeding and, wow, leave it aside for several minutes and it repays you with intoxicating candied orange peel scents. The palate is medium-bodied, rounded and sensual on the entry with mint, orange peel, fig skin and white pepper. This is a sensational millennial Noval with the temerity to surpass the Nacional. Drink 2015-2040. Tasted January 2014. Drink: 2015-2040. (4/29/14)"

96 points Sarah Ahmed (Decanter): "Earned its reputation as ‘backward from the off’ when last tasted in December 2018, but this celebrated vintage of Noval (a general declaration) is now in revelatory mode. Expressive, elegant even, with perfumed, sweet, juicy red berry and plum, orange blossom, liquorice, gingerbread spice and dark chocolate. Builds intensity, finishing very long, with mouthcoating, fine, mineral tannins and inky back palate resonance. Coming very much into its stride. Drinking Window: 2020-2045. (Feb 2020)"

95 points/'Cellar Selection,' Wine Enthusiast: "One of the vintage's standouts, the 2000 Quinta do Noval is incredibly rich and intense, with a density that made me think I should reach for a spoon. Chocoate and coffee, prune and date aromas; plum cake flavors. Despite the richness, there is a superb backbone of acidity and ripe tannins that suggests peak maturity is probably two decades or more away. (Nov 2003)"

95 points Roy Hersh (For The Love of Port): "Magenta color from core to rim and fully opaque. Dark and brooding floral bouquet of ripe plum and blackcurrant fruit with spicy notes of tar and fennel bulb. This Noval is still so primary, it borders on “fruit bomb.” It retained its freshness and even on day three was still amazingly vibrant and fruit forward. Full in its weight class, delivering knockout ripe plum and brambly blueberry with jaw-dropping acidity and lively tannins still powerful to the end. Actually this never did end and the aftertaste carried on for minutes. Fun now, if decanted 10 hours or longer it might be soft enough to approach, otherwise leave it in the cellar for another decade. I'm not kidding when I say this needs another 25 - 30 years to reach its prime drinking window, from there, who knows? 2000 was an excellent vintage for all three Noval bottlings. My score might just be a tad stingy. (1/7/13)"

94 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "[$100 list] Saturated black ruby to the rim. Sappy aromas of black cherry, minerals and roasted nuts. Wonderfully concentrated, very sweet, silky and suave; like an elixir of dark berries. As it opened in the glass, the superb underlying structure became obvious. Finishes with big, building, extremely fine tannins and superb length and grip. (Jan/Feb 2003)"