Niepoort Tiara branco 2024 — excecionalmente fresco, mineral e eleganteNiepoort Tiara branco 2024 — excecionalmente fresco, mineral e elegante

Niepoort Tiara Branco 2024 is an exceptionally fresh, mineral and elegant Douro white made by the renowned Niepoort. From old vines over 60 years old at about 600 metres, it stands out for its energy and liveliness, departing from the region's traditional heavier whites.

The Wine AdvocateRP 95Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

The 2024 Tiara is possibly the only white that turned out even better than the 2023. It's the only white from granite soils at high altitude and, in a vintage when the wine again made me think of a Riesling — though of course it isn't one. It has only a slightly higher proportion of Verdelho than the other whites, but shows delicate aromas of white flowers, citrus and stone.

It fermented and aged in old German foudres, with full malolactic, showing the purity and elegance of the best vintages. It's a fine, subtle and very delicate wine. 13,200 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February 2026.

I tasted the wines with Luis Pedro Silva, the young Niepoort winemaker in charge of the Douro wines. Most wines are from 2024, a less hot year with lots of vegetation and high yields — there was enough rain and the plants behaved as if irrigated. However, the hot summer made the plants suffer because of the large leaf mass and high yields, struggling to ripen all the fruit and keep the leaves green.

It was a very rainy harvest, which made it long and apparently better, as alcohol didn't rise and the wines kept their freshness. This was initially good for the Douro wines but bad for Port. However, the rain reactivated the plants, which eventually ripened the grapes destined for Port too.

The 2024 still wines have low alcohol and seem to be gaining volume. The reds are very floral, perhaps not as vibrant as the 2023s, while the whites are similar to the 2023s, perhaps a little rounder. Half the reds are 2023, a cooler vintage than 2022 and similar to 2021. Both 2023 and 2024 are very approachable, easy-to-enjoy vintages.

In 2025 it rained a lot throughout the year, making vineyard conditions challenging. Yields were low and the grapes were highly concentrated. After harvest it rained incessantly, really more than needed...

I tasted the Ports with Nick Delaforce, winemaker at Vale do Mendiz, where the Ports are made. Different vintages in various categories are being released, but the highlight was the new Vintage, the 2024. It's the next general declaration after 2022, as most producers didn't bottle a 2023 Vintage.

The portfolio make-up is the opposite of most big producers: at Niepoort about 60% is special categories and 40% entry-level, when it's usually the other way round. The rest of the 1976 Colheita was also bottled, a truly magical wine...

Published: 16 April 2026