NIEPOORT
The Niepoort family were Port shippers of Dutch origin that have been making Port in the Douro Valley since 1842. It is a relatively small Port house but with a big reputation! Despite being the second smallest shippers in the trade, they are second to none in quality. The quality of port being made today is higher than it has ever been, and the range of different styles of port that are reasonably easy to find outside Portugal is so much wider than it was. Indisputably, Vintage Port is truly considered the last great wine bargain on the planet. Top ports, like Niepoort and others, are quality-wise, on par with wines like Latour, Lafite or Grand Cru Burgundy!
Originally, the company used to buy its grapes from small growers, but since the end of the 80s Niepoort has invested in their own Quintas (vineyards). This is largely thanks to its 5th generation brother and sister team, Dirk and Verena Niepoort.
In the winemaking arena, Dirk is also a passionate advocate of the traditional method of “treading” by foot to extract maximum colour and flavour. Their Ports are all made at the old Museu de Lagares in Vale de Mendiz, which has the last remaining circular granite Lagares (low stone troughs) in the Douro.
Visit Niepoort’s website here.