At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Douro and Porto
- Family history
- Independent in the Port wine trade since 1842
- Leadership
- Dirk van der Niepoort leads the fifth generation
- Signature wine
- Redoma Tinto
The Producer
Franciscus Marius Niepoort came from Hilversum in the Netherlands to Portugal and founded the company. Dirk wanted Port wines foot trodden in traditional granite lagares because he believed tank only fermentation diminished Port's density and complexity. Foot treading presses grapes during fermentation and extracts colour and tannin through contact with the skins.
Place
Quinta de Nápoles lies in Cima Corgo on the left bank of the Tedo, a tributary of the Douro. Cima Corgo is a Douro subregion, and the Tedo places the quinta within the valley's named landscape.
Story
Niepoort did not own vineyards until Dirk joined his father Rolf in 1987. Before that, the base wines came from Douro growers and were matured, blended and marketed from the company's cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. Dirk bought Quinta de Nápoles in 1987 and Quinta do Carril in 1988. Fruit from those two quintas led him to try making table wine, extending the company beyond the Port trade.
Wines
The range moves between Douro table wines and Port. Redoma Tinto was first made in 1991 as Niepoort's original commercial Douro DOC wine, described as the more rustic Douro ambassador. Redoma Tinto draws on north facing vineyards more than 60 years old at Quinta de Nápoles and in the Pinhão Valley, with Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca as its principal grape varieties.
Redoma Tinto 2022 was vinified with 100% whole bunches in stainless steel lagares, followed by malolactic fermentation and approximately 22 months of maturation in old wooden barrels. Whole bunch vinification keeps the stems with the grapes during fermentation. Redoma Branco 2024 is an old vine white aged in used French oak. The Port range includes Niepoort Vintage Port and Niepoort Colheita.
A Bottle To Understand It
Choose Niepoort Vintage Port 2019. It comes from 80 to 100 year old vineyards in Cima Corgo and includes Tinta Roriz, Touriga Francesca, Tinta Barroca and Touriga Nacional. The wine is lively and fresh, with black pepper, assertive acidity and fine tannins. On days two and three, the fruit and tannins become more mouth coating. It carries 88 g/l residual sugar. This bottle puts the family's Port trade into a vintage wine with named vineyard age and grape varieties.
Final Word
Since the 2007 harvest, Niepoort's wines have been vinified in the new cellar at Quinta de Nápoles.