Niepoort Vintage 2019

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2019 Vintage Port is a field blend from old vines (80 to 100 years old) aged for 21 months in large Portuguese oak vats. It comes in with 88 grams per liter of residual sugar and 19.3% alcohol. This was seen about three months after bottling. In its own notes, the winery says it emphasized balance and elegance, and that is certainly a fitting summary of this wine. Let’s not forget, though, the appealing aromatics laced with some eucalyptus and the grip on the finish. Plus, the texture is sensual and caressing on the palate. Then, the fruit adds waves of flavor. This finishes with some power and pop, making it a good candidate for the cellar. The tannins are not too hard, though, and they are nicely controlled. Its freshness will also serve it in good stead as it ages. If there’s a quibble, it most certainly is not the most concentrated Niepoort ever. Everything else is super, however. This should have good aging potential and the ability to improve more. It’s worth noting that on the first day tasted, this was good but not great. A couple of days later, it was far more impressive, still tight, precise and focused. This is not quite on the level of the 2017, which had better fruit in my view, but it is a good example of what the winery can do. There were 39,754 bottles produced, plus some half bottles and larger formats.

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