Our favourite maverick shows his hand
The tradition of gifting cases of vintage port to children and godchildren has its roots in the longevity of the wines. Made in the best years from the best grapes in the top vineyards of Portugal's Upper Douro Valley, vintage ports are full, dark, structured wines. Fortified by alcohol and sugar, they can last for many decades, easily accompanying the beneficiaries into and through adulthood.
They are also the tip of the port market, about 1% of the total; vastly more port is sold as non-vintage blends. Port houses declare vintage years, on average, about 3 times a decade, when they consider conditions to be optimal. A general declaration takes place when consensus is unanimous and every house (or almost every house) declares; the last general declarations were the back-to-back pair of 2016 and 2017. There was a 2016 dissenter; contrary to the pack, consummate port-maker, winemaker and taster Dirk Niepoort considered his 2015 superior, and had declared that instead.
It's not surprising that Dirk isn't always in step with the port-world consensus; where others look for power, he prioritises sheer elegance. His ports always have a freshness and a mineral base that sweeps away the impression of sweetness on the finish. Dirk loves to point out how, in the really long-distance tastings of very old ports, it is Niepoort that breaks away from the pack and excels. Along with a few other houses, Dirk has declared a 2022 vintage Niepoort; we found the elegance and freshness in 2022 Niepoort compelling. 2022 saw very hot, dry conditions in the Douro Valley (in line with the conditions in 2017 and the great port vintage of 1945), and small, concentrated grapes. With acidity as concentrated as sugar, 2022 Niepoort commands a fabulous sense of tension. /NT
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available Spring 2025
