'Near perfection'
Dirk Niepoort finds himself a little perplexed by the decision of the English port houses not to release a 2015 vintage. As he said in London last month, 'it was always very clear to me we would release a 2015'. Harvest conditions were ideal: 'The weather made it easy for us, it gave us time to think and make the right decisons.' The dry summer meant a very low incidence of disease. In fact, the biggest challenge of the vintage was selecting the final blend from so many vats of high quality wine, a process that took over a year. The result has been worth it; Dirk describes it as 'near perfection', the best vintage port he has made so far this century. That's no mean feat, given the 2011 - but Dirk thinks the 2015 wins on sheer silkiness. He expects it to outlive such historic vintages as the 1955, the 1970, 'perhaps even the 1945'.
Put it down to experience. A family business since it was founded in 1842, the house has been managed by five generations of Niepoorts. The position of Master Blender has also become de facto hereditary, passing through 5 generations of the Noguiera family. Small wonder that Niepoort takes the long view.
Tasted side by side with the 2011, the (even) more persistent finish on the 2015 is evident. The fruit originates partly from Dirk's favourite vineyard Pisca, and partly from a variety of small parcels all over 80 years old, which bring depth and balance. Also released is the single vineyard 2015 Bioma port, which originates entirely from Pisca. South-facing and exposed to relatively little wind, the fruit in Pisca needs to be picked early and lends itself to a bigger, richer style, a powerful expression of one of the key aspects in the make-up of the 2015 Niepoort. /NT
Offered subject to remaining unsold; available spring 2018
