Niepoort @ The Wine Advocate

www.niepoort-vinhos.com

NEWSRobert Parker · March 2013

Niepoort @ The Wine Advocate

2010 Niepoort Batuta

RATING: 90 pointsPRODUCER: Niepoort

FROM: Douro, Portugal

VARIETY: Proprietary Blend

DRINK: 2012 - 2023

ESTIMATED COST: $100SOURCE: eRobertParker.com,

#205Dec 2012

The 2010 Batuta is sourced mostly from North facing old vineyards (Quinta do Carril, 70 years), although some old vines (100 years) from Niepoort’s Napoles are also included. It was aged in 228-liter French oak for 22 months, only 30% new. Principal grapes of the old vines blend (as emphasized by the winery) include Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and Rufete. Niepoort sums up this elegant bottling well by saying “Batuta is a wine of extremes, having more of everything, is at the same time, the one with a more discrete behavior.” Quite so this year (and most), as the wine opens with subtlety and elegance, seeming rather mute. It is somewhat tinged by oak early in its life. That will be easily absorbed. It takes some air and patience to see what this sometimes too subtle wine has, but there is good structure underneath (and a little tannic pop that emerges with air) that should allow the wine to develop well and have the time to acquire some complexity, which is often its best feature.It has a very Burgundian feel, with a silky, graceful mid-palate. There is nothing obvious about this bottling in any year. This year, certainly, it is a Batuta that is perhaps subtle to a fault, but it will be a perfect food wine and when you are drinking it you will suddenly realize how much you like it. Just don’t expect “obvious.” I think this will separate from things like Vertente and Bioma in time, but for bargain hunters looking to economize – the lower level wines are very nice this year. Drink now-2023.

Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage.This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s red lineup. The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.

Importer: Martine’s Wines, Inc., Novato, CA.; tel. (415) 883-0400;except in New York/New Jersey: Eric Solomon, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565

– Mark Squires

The 2010 Bioma is a younger vines wine (for Niepoort, that is 20 years) of Tinta Amarela, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, the first made exclusively from Niepoort’s Quinta da Napoles’ vineyards. Aged in old, large wood (2000- and 5000-liter) for 12 months, it was initially tank fermented. This is quite the charmer in this vintage, showing remarkable purity of fruit, which finishes slightly sweet in its youthful exuberance. It has refined tannins and a beautiful, harmonious demeanor. It is silky and bright. I am less sure it will be as age-worthy or as complex ultimately as some of Niepoort’s other offerings, but it may be the hardest to resist, especially when young and fresh. If I had a critique, it did seem to thin a bit with air, showing less concentration. It also showed better structure, though, and you can knock this back all day long. That’s not a reference to alcohol (only 13%, though), but also to how graceful and easy it is to drink. It is quite nice now and it will peak early, however long it theoretically holds. Just from a pure pleasure standpoint, I have to lean up on this. Drink now-2020.



– Mark Squires

2010 Niepoort Bioma

RATING: 90 points

PRODUCER: Niepoort FROM: Douro, Portugal

VARIETY: Proprietary BlendDRINK: 2012 - 2020

ESTIMATED COST: $33

SOURCE: eRobertParker.com,#205Dec 2012

The Wine AdvocateTasting Notes

2010 Niepoort Charme




DRINK: 2012 - 2020


#205Dec 2012

The 2010 Charme is an old vines blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and others, aged in French oak for 14 months and often postured as a Burgundy imitator. Some years I love it, others not. Light in color, very much “see through,” it is laced with some flinty notes (a common occurrence) and it is very laid back. Bright and rather elegant, to be sure, it has some charm and appeal but little substance, although to its credit it does flesh out somewhat with aeration. Still, I ultimately wound up rather liking the crisp, juicy finish quite a bit as it delivered fruit flavor to the palate. It has a certain sunny appeal that can be quite charming. Whether anything is happening thatjustifies its status and price tag is another question you will have to answer with your pocketbook. Drink now-2020.

Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage. This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s red lineup.The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.


– Mark Squires

The 2010 Redoma is the latest iteration of Niepoort’s familiar brand. It is an old-vine blend aged 30% in 2,000-liter old oak and the rest in 228-liter French oak. Niepoort says that 20-50% of the stems were used in order to obtain a fresher character.My favorite of the 2010 reds here, this is bright, delicious and gripping. While bigger than Batuta (not so unusual), in this vintage Redoma is a bit understated. That said, it proves its persistence easily, showing quite charmingly and with a sunny demeanor the next day as well. This gracefully constructed wine has tension and grip on the finish, a little bit of tannic pop and the fruit to blend with the structure. The oak wasobvious on opening, but that will integrate with time and it showed better in that regard the following day. Of Niepoort’s 2010s, it likely has the highest upside. Drink now-2024.



– Mark Squires


Robert Parker · The Wine Advocate 02

2010 Niepoort Redoma

RATING: 91 points



ESTIMATED COST: $55


The 2011 Redoma Branco comes from 40+ year old vines, particularly including Codega do Larinho, Rabigato, Viosinho and Arinto, fermented and aged in 228-liter French oak. This is, like its Tiara counterpart, opens very fine and quite elegantly, butit expanded nicely with air. It is also quite a mouthful. Oak is an obvious note on this wine early on, but it is well controlled and the fruit makes its presence easily known. It should easily calm down some with time as its balance is excellent. This has an effortless feel to it – but it doesn’t fade easily and as it warms it actually becomes quite powerful and gripping on the finish. It should age well, too. This is a very appealing Branco. Drink now-2019.

Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage. This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s red lineup. The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.


– Mark Squires

2011 Niepoort Redoma Branco




DRINK: 2012 - 2019ESTIMATED COST: $15-$20


The 2008 Robustus, Niepoort’s oldest brand (although the 1990 was unreleased), is an old vines blend (largely Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Sousao and Rufete, as emphasized by the winery), aged in old, large 2,000-liter wood for 42 months. It was vinified with 70% of the stems. With the treatment this wine gets, this is obviously the outlier of the Niepoort lineup, something deliberately intended to have a very different feel. The long wood aging gives it a dramatically different character and flavor profile, plus it has more tannic pop and depth as well. Crisp and pointed in this vintage, it is full-bodied, mouth coating and flavorful, but the different profile and treatment will certainly make it stand out in this lineup. It was astonishingly jarring tasting it next to Niepoort’s other, more subtle and graceful reds.That said, in its own context is hardly a monstrosity or anything of the sort, so don’t misunderstand. There is no overkill here. The oak is older and there is no drenched-in-vanilla aspect, for instance. The alcohol is only 13.5%. There are certainly plenty of wines made in the world that are far bigger, thicker, less balanced, far more astringent and less restrained. Indeed, the next day this actually showed elegance and good acidity, notwithstanding muscle and reasonable concentration. It is a very fine example of a 2008. I loved the way it continued to develop in the glass on Day 2, when I started liking it more and more. This should age pretty well, too. It certainly will benefit from the right food match, aged beef or the like. I tried it that way as well. Suddenly, nothing was even a little out of place whatsoever. It’s a big winner in the 2008 vintage. Drink now-2027.Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage.This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s red lineup. The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.


– Mark Squires


Robert Parker · The Wine Advocate 03

2008 Niepoort RobustusRATING: 94 points




#205Dec 2012

The 2011 Tiara was aged for 10 months in tank, but for 12% of the juice fermented and aged in 500-liter old oak. Maloactic fermentation was blocked after alcoholic fermentation. It is an old vines (40-100 years), high altitude (650m) blend of principally Codega do Larinho, Rabigato, Donzelinho, Boal and Cerceal. Quite lovely this year, it has its usual crisp purity and focus and perhaps an especially elegant feel to it. I loved the aromatics as well. As with Niepoort’s 2011 Redoma this year, it manages to seem effortless, graceful and elegant while remaining quite persistent. It sneaks up on you – it goes down easy and then you realize how lovely the finish is, with tension as well as flavor. As it warmed, I liked it more and more and it became much more intense and gripping, as well as quite tasty. Tinged with lemon at the moment, it is unevolved. It should hold and develop well. Drink now-2019.Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage.This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s redlineup. The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.


– Mark Squires

2011 Niepoort TiaraRATING: 92 points




#205Dec 2012

The 2010 Vertente, emphasizing Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz, is a blend of 20 year old vines from Niepoort’s Napoles quinta and old vines from around Pinhao, tank fermented and aged in 228-liter French oak for 18 months. The oak shows rather dramatically here at the moment, but it will hold reasonably well in the cellar and absorb it as time goes on. With air, it began to show considerable grace and more harmony, not to mention seeming quite delicious. For my money, I’d rather have the Bioma just now, but Vertente has more body and the likelihood of absorbing that oak. It should overtake it. This Vertente is lovely this year, probably the key bargain point of Niepoort’s lineup. Drink now-2021.Niepoort’s 2010 Tinto releases are successful in the context of this vintage. This 2010 vintage is also a good year to troll at the lower end of Niepoort’s red lineup. The less heralded wines show surprisingly well.


– Mark SquiresAbout Maturity and Drink Dates: Most reviews in The Wine Advocate include a period during which the wine should ideally be consumed. We express it as a range of years (Drink Dates) and we use that range to calculate a "Maturity" for the wine as of the current date. Maturity values are: Young - the early drink date is in the future; Early - first third of the drink date range; Mature - middle third of the range; Late - last third of the range; Old - the late drink date is in the past.

2010 Niepoort VertenteRATING: 90 points


VARIETY: Proprietary BlendDRINK: -


#205Dec 2012

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