2024 Niepoort Coche (Douro)

The 2024 Coche has the unmistaken nose of lees, toasted sesame seeds and flint that made it world famous. They added a new vineyard this year, an 80-year-old plot they have been following since 2021 - it was part of the Redoma Reserva - and it increased the volume a little. This is the largest production to date; the increase was only 600 liters, so 8,600 liters in total. The quality has not suffered; it`s quite consistent, with the reductive and salty profile (pH is 3.04 and has close to seven grams of acidity) with notes of tangerine peel, which is a giveaway for this cuvee - tangerine dream, they called it - it`s fine and unctuous, not bitter. It has 13% alcohol, which finishes to define the balance, which is superb. As with the Redoma Reserva Branco, they tried 500-liter barrels and didn`t like them; so, since 2023, it fermented and matured exclusively in 228-liter barrels, only 20% new, each year less. They like the second and third year in these barrels. This year, the wine spent one year and a few months in stainless steel to let it decant and to avoid fining or filtering. This is super tasty, dry and salty, and it should age nicely. 11,400 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2026. 97 points