Rare Wines from Dirk Niepoort

Bon Autumn merry gang of gustation!

Yes, that smell is in the air. The mulch is growing, the leaves dropping, but it’s a gentle segue into the season so far, with warm sunny days and slowly growing chillier nights and mornings.

I must admit, as much as I love summer, I do look forward to this particular turn of the season – not just because it’s my Birthday period – but because every menu grows abundant with ingredients I love from Mushrooms and truffles, to meats & veg not to mention it’s the time to start dusting off some bottles from the cellar or wherever, that have lain dormant while crisp white and pink have been the order of the day – and haven’t they just been that – What a summer it has been here in old Blighty! But enough of the hot one in the sky, it’s time to embrace our log fires, our layered clothing, our warm kitchens, low and slow dishes in the oven, frosty walks and glorious wine, sherry, Madeira and Port.

Well, maybe I’m jumping the gun just a tad… You see, before I do actually get into the above, I have a work trip to attend to next week in rather warm and hopefully sunny Portugal – Yes, I’m off to Porto, the Douro & Dao to visit the wine outposts of Niepoort, a producer whose table wines (and when I say table, I just mean NOT Port – not the best term to describe the exquisite wines I’m soon to bang on about) I have had the joy of discovering and stocking over the last year. So, hold the Autumnal press for another week – it’s time to talk Portugal a second, but with a keen vinous eye firmly on selections for the coming months, wines that may make it to your Xmas table, dare I say it, instead of tried and tested Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Dirk Niepoort, 5^th generation to steer the good ship van der Niepoort, has so many projects, side projects, plans and ventures, and is so renowned in the industry for his progressive thinking, supportive mentorship and enthusiasm for wine-based projects, that you could spend quite some time writing about just him, the man, the legend. But I don’t have time to go into huge detail here (and for your own bandwidth) there are enough articles out there that you can read, and I seriously suggest you do, if you want to really learn about how radical and prodigious Dirk is. Suffice to say Dirk and the Niepoort name have become synonymous – outside their well-known Port wine - with pioneering work, revolutionising the wine industry within Portugal and for the perception of said industry seen from outside of Portugal, taking from the old traditions, respecting them thoroughly and innovating and experimenting, in order to reveal the breadth and beauty of what is achievable with the varietals and terroir of the Douro and Dao. There are many productions and labels I could point to that illustrate the forward thinking, modern, outside of the box approach, but perhaps the easiest way into this complex world is to start with the one resounding fact that Dirk is a lover of fine Burgundy – Who isn’t, I hear you ask… But this is where I began, this is what really locked in to place all of the hyperbole I had heard around the Niepoort table wines and harmonized and crystalised the message into something tangible for me to get on board with and let dissolve upon my tongue and open my mind. It was through the opening of this perspective that I got to taste a flurry of wines that focused my mind and palate on something rather unbelievably wonderful being made by a maverick in Portugal, a part of the world I had struggled to really align with outside of crisp Vinho Verde and Sweet wines at Christmas time.

I’ve been asked for years where my Portuguese wines are kept in the shop. Embarrassed, I would point to here and there at a few wines collected, disconnected from a devoted area they could call home. Now? Sure, I have a Portuguese section in the shop – but the somewhat hilarious thing about these new area devoted to this region, is that the shelves are really an extension of the Burgundy section – but the wines honestly do come from old vines around the classical wine making regions of Portugal. I promise. That is so typically my way of going about creating a Portuguese wine section in the shop. Make it bougie. Make it top tier. Make it rare and of the finest quality and relatively unavailable and I’m in – oh, and make it Burgundy-like. Ha!

That’s not to say these wines are in disguise or masquerading. It’s just that most people looking for the Portuguese wines they bought from the regular wine merchants or supermarket may find these wines to be somewhat more cerebral, niche and definitely at price points that whilst totally deserving of their figures, may be a bit above what most people commonly think of “good value” in Portuguese wine terms. Though, I’d argue that the wines are indeed amazing value. What you get for what you pay is exceptional quality that would have you bankrupting yourself with ease, if you were to be buying these kinds of wines from any of the baller Domaine’s in Bourgogne! So, please do take my notes below as through the prism of a lover of fine Burg tasting the wonders of Dirk Neipoort’s very special creations – and you won’t be disappointed – unless of course you end up missing out on trying these unicorn wines.

It should be said that when I last had these wines in stock, I didn’t get a chance to write a mail out, as many of them sold before I could put paw to keyboard… I have had only very positive words in return. So, do order if you are interested, or quick march to Mill Road if you want to take a look at the wares and chat vino, spendo, buyo. I can’t recommend them enough.

2023 Niepoort, Tiara, £43.99

In previous vintages, Tiara has come across a little austere at first, a wine more about soil than fruit, but here in the wonderful 2023 vintage, fruit is well and truly on show. If I had to describe, I would say in one line that Tiara 2023 is an ode to the lemon. All facets of lemon are covered here. From pith, to juice, to zest, curd – it is a liquid Tarte au Citron, but with a chalky grip that brings reason and the whip of something sensible and straight. Focussed, not quite stern, but a sting in the tale and firmness of structure that lets you know this wine is serious at its core, despite the opulence of fruit in this vintage and its abundance in terms of expression. A blend of Códega do Larinho, Rabigato, Donzelinho, Cercial plus more indigenous field varietals, grown at high altitude with a vine age of 60 years or more. Expect a combination of fresh citrus fruit, florals, peach, stone fruits and a line of acidity and spice that builds into a fantastic, long and persistent finish. At only 11.5% this wine packs a punch of flavour and concentration, not to mention mouthfeel in 2023. It has an opulence and breadth I’ve not encountered before. Almost creamy at times. A winner for its versatility and a great place to start your journey into the whites that Dirk puts out at this level. Only 13,000 btls produced. Was scored 94pts in the Wine Advocate

2023 Niepoort, Redoma Reserva Branco £47.99

I LOVE this wine. Maybe my fav wine from the stable in terms of balancing spend, quality, availability and drinkability – especially in terms of being a special wine of character but that can be consumed without too much ceremony. Though, it deserves ceremony, as it is such a dazzling beauty. Simply put, you could look at this as a second wine to the top and very hard to acquire, Coche (notes below) “Baby Coche” is what we refer to it as. This has a sly whiff of reduction on the nose, like that of many a great Burgundy. Since its conception in 1995, the Redoma Reserva Branco has played its part, representing what can be achieved with white wine from the Douro’s old vines. Coming from a high-altitude vineyard, 600 meters above sea level, with vines aged 80 years or more, this is a wine of grace, polish, creamy yet tense and steely, taking its lead form the varietals Rabigato, Códega de Larinho, Viosinho, Arinto. There are herbs, yellow fruits, citrus and a whopping and yet delicate minerality, white flowers and creamy oak appear over time, but are subtle adding layers of complexity and texture. The finish is long, dry, suggesting food pairings would go a treat. A saline, maritime finish with a beautiful line of acidity. This scored a solid 95pts in the Wine Advocate.

2023 Niepoort, Coche Branco £110

Trying this wine blind for the first time was mind blowing and revelatory. I was falling all over myself to find the right Burgundy producer, the right village, the right vintage. Of course, I was wrong on all counts – because this Portuguese wonder is such an ode to the greats of Burgundy. “Coche Douro” rather than Coche Dury… The reduction, the hazelnuts, honey and brioche, the mineral cut, the finesse of oak, the creaminess, the tension, the combination of texture, power and elegance. But no, it's not a Puligny, nor a Meursault or Chassagne, it’s not even bloody Chardonnay! It is in fact a blend of Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, Arinto. Produced in a similar way to Redoma, but using more specific barrels, French oak from selected forests and customised toasts, 30% of which are new. Smoky, spice layered, toasty and creamy, but with extra amounts of concentration, extract and a chalky, serious, grippy, quality that really makes to sit up and savour each sip. This is reductive alright and rivals top tier Burg, of that there is no doubt. It’s a truly mind-bending experience to think that this came out of the Douro. If only to give this blind to every wine chum you know, then that alone is reason enough to buy a bottle and try it. But, more than that, it’s just incredible wine making. It’s bordering on the magical and comes from a wine maker at the top of their game, flexing every creative and inherited muscle in the arsenal of vinous knowledge and wine making skill. The most sought after and highly regarded wine from Dirk’s Niepoort wines. Only 10,000 btls produced and this quite rightly scored 97pts with the Wine Advocate.   

2023 Niepoort Charme £79.99

Arguably Dirk’s pinnacle of creativity in terms of transferring his deep love of Burgundy to Portugal’s terroir. This groundbreaking wine, grown from cool sites in Vale Mendiz and Quinta de Napoles using historic large granite Lagares, grapes trodden by foot within the vessels, fermented slowly, aged in French oak barrels for 15 months. This is a wine that sums up the finesse of the finest Pinot Noir. More like Chambolle-Musigny in my mind. It is perfumed, floral, sweet creamy cherries and fresh rose petals with ripe strawberries, cream and spice. The blend is mainly Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca with some white varietals used as well. Again, from high altitude vineyards, cool areas. This is sensational wine making. Clocking in at 13.5%, the wine is spot on for balance, acidity and texture. It is silky, with wet slate minerality, violets and gentle background winter spices, cloves and nutmeg. Only 14,000 btls produced. A must try for any Red Burg fan or anyone a fan of great Pinot Noir style wines. This would make a great wine for the Christmas period to come, Turkey, Duck, Goose or Mushroom Wellington would all be excellent paired with this beauty. I also have some 2022 in stock – which I would also heartily recommend, as this wine has the structure to age for some time. Drink up to 2035. Wine Advocate scored it 97pts.

Please do drop me a line if any of the above spark your interest. I’ll be away galivanting in Portugal 17^th-20^th but will be about before and will regale you of tails upon my return.

Have a fantastic rest of the week and see you in shop soon.

Best

Jim