The most revered and collectible Port in the world, Quinta do Noval Nacional is a Vintage Port produced from a single 2.5-hectare parcel of ungrafted vines in the Quinta do Noval estate, right next to the cellars. This patch of vines consistently produces a sublime and unique wine widely considered to be the pinnacle of Vintage Port and indeed, one of the world's great wines. It is also almost certainly the rarest of the world's great wines as so little is released—and then, only in suitable years.
The Nacional plot is not named after the grape Touriga Nacional (as is commonly assumed). In fact, the site is planted with a range of the best Port varieties, including Touriga Nacional (which accounts for only about 30%), Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão (about 20%, 60-year-old vines), Tinta Roriz and some Sousão. The average age of the vines is around 50 years.
The wine is called Nacional because it is produced exclusively from ungrafted vines on their original rootstocks and, therefore, directly ‘attached to the soil of the nation’. The yields of these vines are minuscule (around 15 hl/ha), and the tight bunches of small, deeply coloured grapes produce a massively profound, yet typically sublimely refined, Port of rare finesse. The Romanée-Conti of Ports if you like.