x
  • Country ranking ?

    53
  • Producer ranking ?

    14
  • Decanting time

    3h
  • When to drink

    from 2018
  • Food Pairing

    Stilton or other blue cheeses

The Tb points given to this wine are the world’s most valid and most up-to-date evaluation of the quality of the wine. Tastingbook points are formed by the Tastingbook algorithm which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's best-known professional wine critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook’s professionals and users, the generally recognised vintage quality and reputation of the vineyard and winery. Wine needs at least five professional ratings to get the Tb score. Tastingbook.com is the world's largest wine information service which is an unbiased, non-commercial and free for everyone.

Close

Niepoort Bioma Vinha Velha Vintage Port 2011 is the third vintage of this wine which is from Niepoort’s Pisca Vineyard. Niepoort is a family company now in its fifth generation and presently managed by Dirk Niepoort. Despite being the second smallest shippers in the trade they are second to none in quality. Already famous for their classic tawny ports, they have now joined the ranks of the great producers of Vintage Port. Niepoort’s concept for Bioma is to create, or re-create, a style of Vintage Port which not only respects the terroir, but also harks back to a golden age of Port. At the heart of the concept of Bioma “ Vinha Velha”, is a very special vineyard (Vinha da Pisca) in a very special part of the Douro. For many years, this vineyard has provided the backbone of Niepoort Vintage Ports, but since 2005, Niepoort has been able to study the qualities of this vineyard in greater detail, managing it in a organic way, and furthermore, identifying better, part of the remarkable wines made here for setting aside, as Bioma in 2008 (and previously as Pisca in 2007). The “Vinha Velha” refers to the extraordinary age of the vines at Vinha da Pisca, mostly exceeding 80 years old. Niepoort intends to offer, in very small quantities, a style of Vintage Port which is more akin to the very best English-bottled Vintage Ports of 1970 and before. The exceptional fruit quality from the ancient vines of the Pisca Vineyard appears to express its sense of place quite wonderfully when the ‘logic’ of older times is applied – the grapes for Bioma are foot trodden at the Niepoort Port winemaking facility in Vale de Mendiz and vinified with the stems. After fortification, the port is left to settle over the winter and following spring the port is transferred to Niepoort’s Quinta de Napoles winery where it it racked into pipas (the classic 550L lodge Port pipe or barrel). This is a classic old “English” Port-making practice harking back to the days when Port was shipped to the UK in pipes and bottled there. Bioma also differs from “normal” vintage Port in that it is bottled in its third year, one year later than classic Vintage Port.

Close

The Story

By introducing another premium Vintage Port to the Niepoort Portfolio, Bioma “Vinha Velha” provides us with the opportunity to create, or re-create, a style of Vintage Port which not only respects the terroir, but also harks back to a golden age of Port. At the heart of the concept of Bioma “Vinha Velha”, is a very special vineyard (Vinha da Pisca) in a very peculiar part of the Douro.

 

For many years, this vineyard has provided the backbone of Niepoort Vintage Ports, but since 2005, we have been able to study the qualities of this vineyard in greater detail, managing it in an organic way, and furthermore, identifying better, part of the remarkable wines made here for setting aside, as Bioma in 2011, 2009, 2008 and Pisca in 2007. 

 

Bioma “Vinha Velha” is a single vineyard Vintage Port, rather than a single Quinta. The “Vinha Velha” refers to the extraordinary age of the vines at Vinha da Pisca, mostly exceeding 80 years old. The intention is to offer, in very small quantity a style of Vintage Port which is more akin to the very best English-bottled Vintage Ports of 1970 and before. The exceptional fruit quality from the ancient vines of the Pisca Vineyard appears to express its sense of place quite wonderfully when we apply the ‘logic’ of older times.

Close

Wine Information

The agricultural year in 2011 will be remembered for relatively low precipitation during the winter and an unusually early bud burst in March, along with a sudden extreme heat in June which literally led to burnt clusters in exposed and early varieties such as Tinta Barroca. Although July and the end of August were relatively cool with some light precipitation in the final days of August and first days of September, temperatures picked up and the harvest had to be accelerated to avoid berry shrivel.

 

At our Port winemaking facility, in Vale de Mendiz, the grapes were trodden entirely by foot with 100% stems. After fortification with brandy, the Port was left to settle over the winter. In springtime, the wine was transferred to a very cool part of the winery at Quinta de Nápoles and racked into pipes (the classic 550 litre lodge pipe). Maturing this Port in pipas in the Douro, instead of large vats in Gaia and bottling Bioma “Vinha Velha” in the third year after the harvest, produced an exceptionally complex wine. Oddly this was the way it happened in the “old days” when wines were shipped to England in pipes, and bottled later.

Close

Vintage 2011

2011 Vintage Port Declaration: All of the major port houses have now declared the 2011 vintage as being of exceptional quality. For many shippers this is the first declaration since 2007. The avalanche of declarations started with Sogrape, owners of Sandeman and Ferriera. This has been followed by Symington, the company that owns Dows, Graham Warre and Cockburn and Taylor Fladgate owners of the Fonseca and Taylors brands

Close

Latest Pro-tasting notes

<10 tasting notes

Tasting note

color

Full and Purple

ending

Long, Gentle and Flavorful

flavors

Blackberry, Blueberry, Licorice, Pepper, Tar and Plum

nose

Youthful, Generous, Refined and Rich

taste

Average in Acidity, Perfectly balanced, Concentrated, Well-Integrated, Youthful, Full-bodied, Round, Focused, Rich, Sweet and Drying tannins

Verdict

Full-bodied and Fine

Written Notes

VINTAGE PORT BIOMA 2011 – Dark-red colour. Intense, but balanced spicy bouquet with cherry, blackcurrant and tobacco. Noticeable tannic structure on the palate, chocolate, red-berry-fruit mix with a spicy background. Long and complex aftertaste. Great ageing potential. 97

  • 97p

Fine dark red appearance with a dark red/purple rim. At this stage the aroma is rather unrevealing, but on the palate shows great freshness and a purity of fruit, giving elegance, along with some grainy tannins on the mid palate giving both structure and power to the wine. It can be expected that with another year of ageing the colour will close up further.

The agricultural year in 2011 will be remembered for relatively low precipitation during the winter and an unusually early bud burst in March, along with a sudden extreme heat in June which literally led to burnt clusters in exposed and early varieties such as Tinta Barroca. Although July and the end of August were relatively cool with some light precipitation in the final days of August and first days of September, temperatures picked up and the harvest had to be accelerated to avoid berry shrivel.

At our Port winemaking facility, in Vale de Mendiz, the grapes were trodden entirely by foot with 100% stems. After fortification with brandy, the Port was left to settle over the winter. In springtime, the wine was transferred to a very cool part of the winery at Quinta de Nápoles and racked into pipes (the classic 550 litre lodge pipe). Maturing this Port in pipas in the Douro, instead of large vats in Gaia and bottling Bioma “Vinha Velha” in the third year after the harvest, produced an exceptionally complex wine. Oddly this was the way it happened in the “old days” when wines were shipped to England in pipes, and bottled later.

Good looking normal size bottle. Colour is purple and full. On the nose it is open, intense, youthful, refined, generous and rich. The taste is fresh, round, rich, focused, ripe, perfumed, fragrant, fat, toasty, vivid, refined, powerful, and sweet, with drying tannins, and average in acidity, full-bodied, with perfectly balanced, well-structured, well-integrated, good texture, concentrated structure and youthful. On the palate it is layered and has cassis, blueberry, blackberry, licorice, pepper, plum, port-like, spice, smoky, tar, toasty and violet flavours. The finish is long, lingering, gentle, flavorful and spicy. This wine is a mouthfilling and fine. Perfectly stored bottles are still very worthy and will last well for another 10-15 years and decant at least over 4h before tasting.
- (Tasting note created by Tb's AI)
  • 90p
Load more notes

Information

Origin

Porto, Douro

Soil

Several in Cima Corgo

Age of vines

100 years

When bottled

February 2014

Other wines from this producer

10 Year Old Tawny Port

10 Years Old White Port

30 year old Tawny

ADN Loureiro

Agua Viva

Batuta

Bioma Tinto

Broadbent Vintage Port

Charme

Coche Branco

Conciso

Conciso Tinto

Dócil Loureiro

DoDa

Fabelhaft

Gonçalves Faria Branco

Lagar de Baixo

Late Bottled Vintage

NatCool Bairrada Tinto

NatCool Drink Me Branco

NatCool Voyer Tinto

Niepoort Colheita

Niepoort Dry White Port

Niepoort Garrafeira

Niepoort Garrafeira Port

Pinot Noir

Poeirinho

Quinta da Lomba

Redoma

Redoma Branco

Redoma Reserva

Redoma Reserva Branco

Redoma Rosé

Redoma Tinto

Robustus

Ruby

Sarvet

Secundum

Sempar Portalegre Branco

Sempar Portalegre Tinto

Tiara

Turiz

Turris

Vertente

Vintage Port

VV

VV Vinhas Velhas Branco

Wana Bi

White

White Colheita Port

Incorrect Information
If you found some information that is wrong, let us know
Are you sure you want do delete this wine? All information will be lost.
Are you sure you want to recommend this wine?
Are you sure you want hide this written note ?
Are you sure you want show this written note ?
UPGRADE MEMBER PLAN
Upgrade your membership now, it's quick and easy. We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards. Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal. You can cancel your membership at any time.
Thank you for your support!
 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

 

HOW TO USE TASTINGBOOK?

We recommend you to share few minutes for watching the following video instructions of how to use the Tastingbook. This can provide you a comprehensive understanding of all the features you can find from this unique service platform.

This video will help you get started



Taste wines with the Tastingbook


Create Your wine cellar on 'My Wines'



Explore Your tasted wines library



Administrate Your wine world in Your Profile



Type a message ...
Register to Tastingbook
Sign up now, it's quick and easy.
We use PayPal, the world's largest payment system, it accepts all credit cards.
Once you've chosen your membership level, you'll go directly to PayPal, where you can sign up for a free 7-day trial period. You can cancel your membership at any time. We wish you a rewarding journey to the world of Fine Wines.

Free 7 days Member trial

 

Member

 

Pro Member

 

Winemerchant Member

 

Winery Member

 

User

  Register