Wine Spectator – This is distinctive, with youthfully rambunctious dark currant, fig and blackberry fruit paste flavors liberally spiked with bramble, Turkish coffee and ganache notes. As the fruit pumps through the finish, a tarry spine adds a bristling, mouthwatering edge. Best from 2035 through 2055

James Suckling – This is a superb baby Noval that reminds me of the 1966. Chewy yet so polished. The light sweetness suggests an overall dialing back of the sugar content. Stemmy and lightly green. A truly classic Noval. Almost all from Pinhao. Buy.

Decanter – Dense but opening up on the nose to reveal dark chocolate intensity and a delicate leafy edge. Ripe and initially minty on the palate with lovely purity of fruit and great definition: sweet cassis with broad, ripe, grippy tannins rising in the mouth. Not as big or immediately impressive as some wines from this vintage but showing great balance and poise from start to finish. A wine for the long term. Production of 6,000 cases.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – The 2016 Vintage Port is a field blend, mostly Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão and Sousão, aged for 18 months in old wood. It comes in with 82 grams of residual sugar. This was in bottle for only about seven weeks when seen, but I made sure at least some of it had a lot of air. It looks super, with plenty of room to grow in the cellar. Christian Seely likes to say that this regular Noval and the Nacional are not better than one another, just different. In fact, I usually prefer Nacional, but in this vintage I make a case for equality and endorse that view.

Wine Spectator – Expressive, with a wave of pure creamed plum, blackberry and blueberry fruit gliding through atop enticing anise and milk chocolate notes. Velvety, caressing finish makes it hard to see the graphite structure here, but it's there. Suave finish too. Will be hard to lay off this one in its youth, but it's destined for terrific development. Best from 2032 through 2055.

Wine Enthusiast – Brilliant golden / brown colour with a fresh nutty aroma and delicate subdued fruit. Medium sweet on the palate, interacting perfectly with the spirit which in turn gives a superb structure to the wine.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Almost opaque in color, a very deep red and bluish reflections. Intense, full aroma of ripe fruit which brings out the flavors of grape and fig, combined with a delicious chocolate and hints of anise.

Robert Parker/Wine Advocate – Bright ruby colour with black pepper notes combined with red berries fruit aromas. It has plenty of plums and cherries notes and a strong mineral character of wet stone aroma. Very rich and complex. The palate is firm with great acidity and a great tannic structure supported by well balanced tannins. Very long and persistent, promising a long life in bottle.