Niepoort Vertente 2021

Luis Gutiérrez: Where to start? I have known Dirk Niepoort for over 25 years and have followed his wines over the years. He never stops. His company has grown impressively. Since 2018, the still wines have reached a new level (they are always evolving, and they mention 2013 and 2021 as other years of change), with the arrival of winemaker Luis Pedro Cândido da Silva and the new generation of the Niepoort family, especially his son Daniel, who joined the team in 2020. They do not only produce wines in the Douro, but today they operate in several regions of Portugal—Dão, Alentejo, Vinho Verde, Bairrada...

The style is elegant, but they want the wines to age well in the bottle, so the focus is on balance. Some of the vineyards and wines have been certified organic since 2008. All of their own vineyards are certified organic, but some of the purchased grapes are not. Daniel Niepoort, who is now much more focused on the vineyards, told me that organic viticulture is essential to him, but that the growers are also important. They want to maintain relationships with the growers and be a role model to show that organic farming is possible, convincing them by example.

In 2022, there was only 202 liters of rain (a little less than in 2003!), but the vines adapted to the low water, and yields were better than expected. There was some rain during harvest, and there were some problems with fungus. It was one of the most dramatic vintages in viticulture, and some plants died. But 2022 was excellent for Port. 2021 was a great year for dry wines (but not for Port), with sufficient water reserves in the soil. They consider it a perfect agricultural year, with good yields, mild spring and summer, a longer cycle, and perfect ripening of the grapes. It can be compared to 2018, 2008, and 2001—cooler years, with higher acidity. 2020 was hot and dry, so the grapes were healthier, but it was the COVID-19 vintage, which created some problems in the vineyards; everything was strange that year. As for 2023, although it is still too early to say, it was an excellent year in the Douro—for Luis Pedro, the best he has ever seen in the region.