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Wine Description
The Story
Vintage Port maintains Niepoort's tradition of making balanced Ports with great concentration, being at the same time fine and delicate. We strongly believe we can make a Vintage Port with potencial to last for decades. Vintage Port must be bottled within two or three years of the harvest date.
The magic of Vintage Port is different in every phase: as a young wine it captures the youthful fruit characters. Then, after 20 years or more, the effects of the slow bottle age integration are revealed and finally, after many decades, the spirit dominates the wine. Vintage Port is amazing in all the three phases. Half sweet taste, combining with its strong structure. Firm and long tannins, but balanced as a whole. Please, note that Vintage Port needs to be decanted. Perfect with "Queijo da Serra", Stilton or other blue cheeses and with egg desserts, like the portuguese "Pão de Ló".
Soil Type: Schist
Vineyards: Vinha da Pisca, Pinhão e Ferrão
Average Vine Age: 60 and over 100 years
Varieties: Touriga nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Amarela, Sousão and Tinta Roriz
Vines per Ha: 4000 - 6000
Wine Information
1987 Vintage/
Vintage Port is bottled within two years of the harvest date and is 100% wine from that harvest. The magic of Vintage port is different in every phase: as a young wine it captures the youthful fruit characters, then after 20 years or more the effects of the slow bottle age integration are revealed and finally after many decades the spirit dominates the wine. Vintage Port is amazing in all the three phases. Maturation in the bottle is more reductive than cask ageing and the wine that results has a fruitiness and power which develops in the traditional black port bottle. The wine must be decanted. Serve at the end of a meal with cheese, especially blue cheese which goes really well.
Vinification
Following a hot dry summer, grapes were in good condition at the time of harvest, if somewhat on the ripe side. Some dense colored wines were made in lagares by foot treading, only a few Vintage declarations were made in 1987, one of them being Niepoort. The wine, now with nearly 20 years age, exhibits wonderful bottle age character, characteristic of a fine Vintage port.
Tasting Notes
Dark and youthful in colour for its age, now showing wonderful bottle age aroma on the nose interspersed with a soft mint character. On the palate the vintage 1987 is very fine and showing good richness and a long finish.