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.

The Conciso is our interpretation of a fine and elegant Dão wine which shows off the potential and the character of a very old vineyard. This East-facing century-old vineyard grows on the slopes of the Serra da Estrela, in granitic soils planted with several varieties, predominantly Baga and Jaen.

The 2017 viticultural year experienced a dry winter, with much lower rainfall than the average in the past 30 years. A hot and dry spring followed, with heat waves which persisted to the beginning of summer. With the increase of average temperatures and the lack of rainfall, we have seen an advance of about 2 weeks in the vines’ vegetative cycle, from budbreak to veraison. This situation carried on through summer, leading to an early start to a harvest that proved to be particularly intense and short. The wine fermented in lagares, with 20% whole bunches and a long maceration period, but without excessive extraction. After alcoholic fermentation, spent around 20 months ageing in barriques and in an old 2500L wooden vat in the Quinta da Lomba. The wine was bottled completely unfiltered.

Soil type – Granite

Grape – Baga and Jaen

Age – 80 to more than 100 years

Residual Sugar – 0.6 g/L

Alcohol – 12.6 %

The Conciso tinto 2017 delights the eye with a more intense ruby red hue than usual. Its bouquet is fresh overall but also brings some beautifully ripe fruity aromas to the foreground. The palate offers excellent concentration without compromising its refreshing fruitiness, light tannins and excellent acidity – balance and harmony are truly evident here. A long, layered finish makes this wine an absolute drinking pleasure!

Traditional Portuguese cuisine, venison and “arroz de pato” duck rice.

Wine Advocate – 91 points

The 2017 Tinto Conciso is a field blend, heavy on Baga (about 40%) and Jaen, aged for 20 months in used 2,500-liter Portuguese vats. It comes in at just 12.6% alcohol. This will be the wine that appeals to your sense of finesse and balance. It never seems thin, because it’s persistent and the fruit is expressive, but its mid-palate finesse is exceptional and the wine is very graceful. The tannins are rather ripe, but they do lend support to the nuanced fruit. Bright and fresh, it’s a perfect food wine, something a Burgundy lover can gravitate to. Some will consider it a bit too understated, perhaps, but it is the type of bottle that will empty fast at the table. Then, you’ll miss it. It should age well in terms of holding, but I’m not really sure there will be a lot of development if it is held for a decade or more. It seems poised to drink well even now. If you appreciate this style, this is certainly one of the nicest price points in Niepoort’s lineup. There were 9,600 bottles produced from old vines (over 90 years old).

This is a fascinating collection on a number of grounds. The wines, as always, are interesting in their own right. But looking up and down the list, one thing I noticed was that price is not always the key determinant in the Niepoort collection. You can drink well for modest money. Of course, there are also wines from regions where price points tend to be lower, like the Conciso, but you can do well at the lower and mid-level here even in Douro, like the Bioma, Vertente and the regular Redoma Branco.

James Suckling – 90 points

Savory and fruity character with lots of meat. Blackberries and some eucalyptus notes. Medium-bodied, medium round tannins and a savory finish. Drink now.