Niepoort : Vintage Port 2015

Niepoort produces a high-quality Vintage Port

The producer

Founded in 1842 in the heart of the Douro wine region, Niepoort is an essential reference among the finest Duriense wines. For five generations, the Niepoort family has been passionately crafting Ports that are renowned for their high quality. These wines are the result of a combination of ancestral know-how and a great terroir. These exceptional wines, with their rare concentration and elegance, are internationally renowned by many critics.

The vineyard

Niepoort reigns over a vineyard that benefits from a continental microclimate. The vines are sheltered from marine influences by the surrounding mountains. The vines are deeply rooted and planted predominantly on schistose soils.

The wine

This Niepoort Vintage Port 2015 is a Vintage Port that comprises 40% of the grapes from the Pisca vineyard and 60% from a selection of very old plots in Vale de Mendiz, a sub-region of Cima Corgo. The vines in these areas are between 80 and 100 years old. The residual sugar content of this Niepoort Vintage Port 2015 is 101 g/litre.

The vintage

The 2015 vintage was marked by optimal weather conditions for the production of a high-quality Port, recognised by some as the best port of the 21st century.

A cold and particularly dry winter preceded a dry and hot spring and summer. Three hot spells in June and July are offset by cooler temperatures in August. Thanks to the low humidity, the vineyard avoided any risks of disease and boasted an exceptional condition before the grape harvest. The harvest began on August 28th and was punctuated by rainy spells on 15 and 16 September which, combined with lower temperatures, helped the grapes to ripen.

Structured and well-balanced, this great vintage seduces with its fine and intense tannins, its beautiful concentration, its balance as well as a very pure fruit.

Vinification and ageing

The hand-picked grapes are crushed in circular lagares. The vinification is carried out with 100% of the stalks. The wine is racked and aged for 2 years in wooden vats before blending. Indeed, the estate’s teams select the finest wines to include in the production of this Vintage Port during the ageing process. The bottling was carried out in June 2017.

The blend

Niepoort's Vintage Port 2015 comprises a blend of several grape varieties: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta Roriz...

Niepoort's Vintage Port 2015: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Nose

Discreet and precise, the nose elegantly blends a pure expression of fruit with a complex aromatic bouquet.

Palate

The palate is seduced by this port’s concentration, its vivacity, its complexity, its finesse and its great freshness. 2015 is a silky, structured and well-balanced vintage with an impressive firm acidity and lower sugar content, giving the wine more freshness.

Food and wine pairing

This Vintage Port will pair with cheeses ("Queijo da Serra", Stilton, blue cheeses) or egg-based desserts accompanied by "Pão de Ló" (Portuguese sponge cake).

Cellaring

Relish this Port in its youth, this fine wine can be kept in the cellar until 2035 to 2055 to express its full aromatic range.