Niepoort's latest releases: The 2022 vintage of Redoma Branco continues to showcase Dirk Niepoort’s masterful touch with Douro whites, delivering a wine of purity, freshness, and understated complexity. The nose is crystalline and vibrant, with lifted aromas of bergamot, fresh lemon peel, green herbs, and delicate white peach, underscored by a whisper of wet stone and subtle smoky reduction—a signature of its minimalist winemaking and old-vine heritage.

On the palate, it’s tense and focused, driven by racy acidity and a lean, mineral backbone. Citrus, pear skin, and bitter almond notes unfold with grace, carried by a fine, almost saline texture. There’s a quiet depth here, suggesting both the schist soils and high-altitude vineyards from which it hails.

The finish is long, clean, and mouthwatering, leaving a lingering echo of citrus zest and flinty minerality. Still youthful, but with the structure and energy to evolve beautifully over the next 5–7 years.

A quintessential Douro white—precise, authentic, and full of quiet character.

QUINTA DO NOVAL VINTAGE PORT NACIONAL 1963 – This is the Vintage Port which most people would like to take to their lonely island. High-scores everywhere and so much life ahead that it almost frightens you: The colour is easily 10-20 years younger of what you would expect. Deep, dark-red colour with lots of reflections. Perfectly balanced bouquet with finesse and intensity. Long and multi-layered aftertaste. Tasted last year at the Quinta. Port-Heaven! 100

Tim Smith Barossa Mataro 2023 / For all the hype, Mataro/Mourvedre from the Barossa is still a grumpy thing. It’s the dark, moody, reductive, fortified grape that helps fill out blends and only enjoyed a solo career in recent years. But Tim Smith has Barossan Mataro sorted. Old vines, old oak, and Tim’s knack for nailing texture means these wines just work. Same again with the Tim Smith Wines Mataro 2023. Sourced from two vineyards, 70 and 140 years old, on the Barossa Valley ‘floor’, and this has that old vine complexity on full show. Cola, ‘Provençal herbs’ as Tim says on the label, and this licoricey black fruit endless depth without a sense of heaviness. Instead, here’s a real medium feel to it – this isn’t an unapproachable dark and heavy thing at all. The palate just sings on through in that cola, dark chocolate and savoury grainy vibe. It’s a hit.

Yalumba The Octavius Shiraz 1988-2020 tasting: 2019 vintage: Medium-deep crimson. Intense dark plum, black cherry, blackberry aromas with praline, vanilla, hint black pepper notes. Generously proportioned wine with superb pure blackberry pastille, cassis sage flavours, fine chocolaty firm tannins and beautiful integrated ginger, roasted chestnut oak. Finishes chocolaty and long. Wonderful follow-up vintage. Drink 2030–2048. 14.5% alc