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Niepoort Vintage 2011

Dirk Niepoort
Vintage
€165.00
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97 points James Suckling and 95 points Wine Spectator

2011 was a year with relatively low winter rainfall and surprisingly early flowering in March. In June, extreme heat arrived suddenly, burning some bunches, especially in early-ripening grapes such as Tinta Barroca. Although July and August were cool with some rain, temperatures were high in September and the harvest had to be brought forward to avoid overripe grapes.

Low yields combined with excellent acidity and colour are key factors for a perfect Vintage. This 2011 Vintage follows Niepoort's traditional Vintages: elegant, balanced, with great power and concentration, but always fine and delicate.

Winemaking All the components of our 2009 Vintage Port were foot-trodden in round granite lagares at our Port winery in Vale de Mendiz. As usual for a Vintage of this quality, we included 100% stems in the vinification. Soon after harvest, the wines making up the final Port were racked and then aged over winter in vats in the Douro, before being moved to Vila Nova de Gaia in March 2012. There, we again did countless tastings to find the ideal blends for a Niepoort Vintage Port. The final blend was again left to settle in vats in our Vila Nova de Gaia cellars until bottling in May 2013.

Tasting Notes The colour of the 2011 Vintage clearly benefited from the harsh winter — a deep ruby hue of great concentration. It has a voluptuous nose with excellent fruit, but also plenty of spice and pepper. On the palate it's fresh and elegant, with enormous structure, fine tannins, great concentration and a very long finish. Once again, at Niepoort we believe we've made a Vintage for the decades ahead…
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