: DOURO wine review from Wine Advocate #169 (Feb 2007)      

Dirk Niepoort is the principal of this familiar, family-owned Port house. However, dry wines are hardly a sideshow for Niepoort, and he has become one of the region’s driving forces in establishing the table wine industry. His dry wines date back to circa 1990, which seems to be a very long time ago considering how many new wines, wineries and winemakers have emerged in the Douro in the last decade or so. It occurred to me that if the Douro has a Robert Mondavi, a relative pioneer who seems as interested in pushing the brand as himself, it is probably Dirk Niepoort. One ironic thought also occurred to me. While the winery is justly considered a quality house for reds and a driving force in the dry, red revolution, it ultimately may become most famous for another reason: Niepoort is perhaps without equal for whites.
 

The 2005 “Redoma” Branco is principally a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto sourced from old vines (40+ years) and high altitude vineyards. The wine spends 8-9 months on the lees. There are notes of vanilla from French oak and then the acidity takes over. It is fresh and exuberant, a pleasure to taste, and for some 14 Euros in Portugal, an amazing deal there. It should calm down and integrate its parts over the next year, but it will drink well young, and will make Burgundy fans happy. There were approximately 1,300 cases produced. Drink now-2012.
 

2005 Niepoort Redoma Reserva Branco
Rating: 94 points
Producer: Niepoort
From: Douro, Portugal
Variety: Proprietary Blend (a dry white table wine)
Drink: 2008-2014
Estimated Cost: $45.00
Source: Wine Advocate #169 (Feb 2007)
 
The 2005 “Redoma Reserva” Branco is sourced from high altitude old vineyards with vines averaging 60 to 100 years old. This is principally a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto. It spent eight months in French oak. It smells of oak at first, but with every moment open, the steel and acid come through. It is somewhat fuller in the mouth than the regular bottling, with a better finish, and somewhat higher perceptible acidity, an earthier, more intense and more powerful wine than the regular bottling, which seems open and drinkable now. The Reserva could use a little cellar time, at which time it should surpass the regular bottling. It is beautifully structured, and grows on you. This is a very serious white wine from a Douro producer who obviously intends to make a statement for white wines as well as reds. The winery calls it a white Burgundy ringer, and it does have that feel to it. There were approximately 833 cases produced. Drink 2008-2014.
 

2004 Niepoort Charme
Rating: 93 points
Producer: Niepoort
From: Douro, Portugal
Variety: Proprietary Blend (a dry red table wine)
Drink: 2008-2016
Estimated Cost: $80.00
Source: Wine Advocate #169 (Feb 2007)
 
The 2004 “Charme” is an old vines bottling (average age: 70 years) aged fifteen months in French oak. It comes in a “fat” bottle, which is appropriate for a Burgundy wannabe. Dirk Niepoort indicated to me that this wine, in a blind tasting with over 30 professionals, was identified as Burgundy by almost all of them. Considering that the principal varietals here are Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca, I found that hard to believe until I actually tasted the wine. It is simply amazing as a Burgundy imitation. Now, one might philosophically wonder why this wine, made from traditional Douro grapes and a producer who is very terroir oriented, WANTS to be a Burgundy. That philosophical musing, to which I am not particularly inclined, will have to be answered by someone who cares. I just taste the wine. I thought it was terrific, one of my favorite wines on my Portugal trip, with round texture, red berry notes, impeccable balance, and persistent flavors. It is elegant and stylishly crafted, and simply, well, charming. There were about 375 cases produced. Drink 2008-2016.

2004 Niepoort Redoma
Rating: 92 points
Producer: Niepoort
From: Douro, Portugal
Variety: Proprietary Blend (a dry red table wine)
Drink: 2008-2017
Estimated Cost: $45.00
Source: Wine Advocate #169 (Feb 2007)
 
The sunny 2004 “Redoma” Tinto is sourced principally from Quinta de Napoles. The “Redoma” proprietary brand was first released in 1991 as Niepoort’s first Douro table wine. This wine is made from a mixed varietal blend (principally Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca) from a 60-year-old vineyard, although some older vines were used as well. It was raised for eighteen months in French oak. Cool, refreshing, and beautifully balanced, this is friendly and charming. The sweet mid-palate is young and primary. It is mid-weight, with notes of herbs around the edges. With air, the wine, which seemed rather flat, becomes brighter and livelier as the acidity and ripe tannins appear, and the finish finally shows a little grip, along with some bursts of acidity that were not always as friendly as the rest of the wine’s demeanor. Still, this is very young and in need of settling down. Rather debonair, this is also nicely textured. It became more interesting and intense with air, showing more tannins, acid and earth. It showed well the next day, too, although it never seemed as distinguished or as interesting as its brilliant sibling, Niepoort’s 2004 Batuta, or likely to have as much upside in the cellar. There were approximately 1,500 cases made. Drink 2008-2017.
 

2004 Niepoort Batuta
Rating: 95 points
Producer: Niepoort
From: Douro, Portugal
Variety: Proprietary Blend (a dry red table wine)
Drink: 2008-2021
Estimated Cost: $80.00
Source: Wine Advocate #169 (Feb 2007)
 
The 2004 “Batuta” (Batuta means “conductor’s baton” in Portuguese) is aged for 20 months in French oak, and sourced from very old vines. The principal source of grapes is Quinta do Carril, a 70-year-old vineyard. In addition, grapes are sourced from older vines exceeding one hundred years in age. The first vintage of this bottling was 1999. Concentrated, intense, focused, impeccably balanced and beautifully structured, this beauty delivers on all fronts. To my mind, it is a much more complete, complex and successful wine than its Redoma sibling. The sweet mid-palate is obviously young and primary. The tannins are ripe, but clearly provide support for aging, and obvious intensity. The mid-palate remains elegant, but the sweet fruit shines through. This is elegant in the best sense of the word. I think this wine will be approachable fairly young, but its exceptional performance the next day suggests that it has the ability to age gracefully, too. In fact, it really did not show its stuff until Day #2. I think this is potentially one of the most complex wines I tasted in Portugal, and I hope its evolution in the cellar proves that conclusion to be true. Drink 2008-2021.