Niepoort Coche branco 2023

The Wine Advocate
RP 97

Luis Gutiérrez: The recently bottled 2023 Coche, their grand cru, comes from two or three vineyards in the Murça area. It's more austere and fresh, made like the Redoma Reserva but using specific barrels from a particular forest and toast, 30% of them new. It went through full malolactic fermentation and a year of élevage in those barrels, and was stabilised for four months in stainless-steel tanks. It was "singing" when I tasted it.

It has the serious, reductive character that is a constant here, with spicy, smoky and mineral notes, touches of cold smoke, dried flowers and herbal tea, and a dry, serious, chalky mouthfeel. It reminds me of the excellent 2021, with austerity, restrained ripeness, great precision and purity, intense and persistent. 10,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in February 2024.

I tasted mainly the 2023 whites and 2022 reds with the young team of Luis Pedro and Daniel Niepoort. 2023 was a very good vintage for them, though not exceptional like 2021. It was a balanced year in the Douro, with good spring rain ensuring water in the soil. The summer was milder than 2022, and the harvest was long, with some heatwaves (when the vines stopped ripening twice) and a little rain at the end (not so good for Port), so they did everything slowly and carefully.

The resulting wines have moderate alcohol and good freshness, and are a little rounder and more approachable than the 2021s, with less structure and softer acidity.

Published: 17 April 2025.