The Niepoort family, originally from the Netherlands, has been creating Port Wines since 1842 and established themselves as one of the most respectable Port Houses.

Dirk Niepoort, fifth generation, runs the firm with a dedication and enthusiasm that has made him one of the most popular figures in the wine trade, and quickly became a trailblazer of table wines in Portugal with his projects focused on Terroir, elegance and the relentless pursuit of freshness. Dirk helped transform the Douro region and the way the world thinks about wine, with wines transcending the heat and displaying astounding craft and elegance.

His vision has striven to improve the company on all aspects: the vineyards were upgraded in sustainability (notably most are farmed organically, without any pesticides and herbicides) and the winery completely revamped. As for the grape crushing, Dirk is a passionate advocate of the traditional method of ‘treading’ (by foot) to extract maximum colour and flavour. These efforts resulted in magnificent examples from recent years.

Dirk Niepoort deserves the accolades he receives for his hard work, dedication and wonderful craft which propelled him to be one of the most reverred in Portugal and a world wine legend, elevating not only Port but Portugal’s dry wines.

Tawnies with an age indication such as ’10 years’ are blended from different wines, averaging 10 years. Niepoort produces 10, 20 and 30 years old Tawny. The prolonged ageing in small wooden casks confers the characteristic Tawny Colour. The main features of an aged Tawny are the complexity of the aromas, the freshness and a persistent bouquet and refinement. After dinner, old Tawny is a good match with cheeses and especially chocolate based desserts. It can also be drunk as an aperitif, served at room temperature or lightly chilled.

The Tawnies are aged in small old oak casks (550L), in the cellars at Vila Nove de Gaia, over many years. The balanced marriage of the different characteristics and diverse ages is the art of the Niepoort Master bende, José Nogueira.

Soil type – Schist

Grape – Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cao, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Amarela, Sousao, Tinta Roriz

Age – Over 60 years

Residual Sugar – 110 g/L

Alcohol – 19.5 %

Decanter – 94 points

Aged in small 550L old oak casks in Niepoort’s cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia, this svelte 10-year-old has detail and an appetising, salty edge to its dried plum, pear, apricot and candied citrus palate. Hints of chinato herbs, iodine, walnut and cassia bark add interest. Light on its feet, with an elegant, uplifting finish. Bottled in 2018 with 106.3g/L of residual sugar.

James Suckling – 94 points

A medium-bodied,10-year-old tawny with candied-plum, light chocolate and toffee character. It’s medium-bodied and medium-sweet with pretty intensity and focus of fruit and old wood. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate Robert Parker – 93 points

The 2022 bottling of the NV 10 Year Old Tawny Port still has signs of youth and some ruby/red color in it, with notes of cherries in liqueur intermixed with nuts and spice, with lots of depth and complexity. I think the 10 year old is a category that is somewhere in between, still a little young but with some development and good complexity. That can be explained due to the fact that it’s a blend of older and younger wines, and this is 10 years on average (or style) and, in my book, very good value for the category. It has 19.5% alcohol and 110 grams of sugar. 25,000 bottles produced.

Where to start? I’ve known Dirk Niepoort for over 25 years, and I’ve followed his wines over the years. He doesn’t stop. He has grown his company like crazy. The still wines are on a new level since 2018 (they are always evolving, and they mention 2013 and 2021 as other years of change) with the arrival of winemaker Luis Pedro Cândido da Silva and the next generation of the Niepoort family, especially their son, Daniel, who joined the team in 2020. They not only produce wine in Douro but, nowadays, in most regions in Portugal—Dão, Alentejo, Vinho Verde, Bairrada…

The style is elegant, but they want the wines to age in bottle, so for them it’s all about balance. Some vineyards and wines have been certified organic since 2008. All of the vineyards they own are certified organic, but some of the grapes they buy are not. Daniel Niepoort, who’s a lot more focused on the vineyards now, told me organic is very important for him but that growers are also important and they want to keep the relationship with the growers and be a role model for them to show them that organic is possible, convincing them by being an example.

In 2022, they only got 202 liters of rain (a little less than in 2003!), but the vines adapted to the low water and yields were better than expected. They got some rain during harvest and some fungus. It was one of the most dramatic vintages in viticulture, and some plants died. But 2022 was great for Port. As for 2021, it was a great year for dry wines (but not great for Port), and there was enough water reserve in the soils. They consider it a perfect agricultural year with good yields; it has a mild spring and summer, so a longer cycle and perfect ripening of the grapes. It could be a little like 2018, 2008 and 2001—cooler years with higher acidity. 2020 was warm and dry, so the grapes were healthier. But it was the COVID-19 vintage, and that created some problems in the vineyards; everything was weird that year. As for 2023, even if still too early, the year was also great in Douro, for Luis Pedro the finest he’s seen there.