2019 Niepoort LBV Reserve Ruby Port

Variety: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cao, Tinta Amarela & Sousa

Region of Origin: Douro Portugal

Tasting Notes

 The colour is intense ruby red with shimmering violet tints. The nose reveals aromas of dark chocolate, fruits of the forest, spices and figs with some floral notes. On the palate, you will find Niepoort’s quintessential structure and elegance. It sets off on sweet notes but finishes dry, with a surprisingly assertive acidity. This Late Bottled Vintage is one of the few wines in its category that is bottled with a real cork instead of a bar top closure.

Wine Making

 Dirk Niepoort is President of Casa Niepoort Winery. Casa Niepoort’s Vintage Port 2017 was declared ‘Best Port Wine of the World’ as awarded in the 2021 edition of Best Wine of the World, described as the “largest wine competition in the world. However, the 2018 harvest had record low yields in the vineyard and atypical weather. There was also a dramatic hailstorm at the end of May and a heat wave in the last few days of July. August was hot, with hot and dry weather conditions during the harvest.

The grapes are from selected parcels of vineyards with low yield in the Cima Corgo region of the Douro valley. Grapes were trodden in stone lagares and the wine was then transferred to Vila Nova de Gaia cellars where it matured in large wooden vats. The winemaking and ageing methods were chosen to match the selection of wines which make up the LBV: full-bodied red Ports stemming from a single vintage.

The Vineyard

  Under Dirk’s leadership, Casa Niepoort is in its sixth generation with over 150 years of winemaking experience. The Niepoort family has been operating independently in the port wine market since 1842. Franciscus Marius Niepoort, born in Hilversum, Holland, set foot in Portugal and founded the now world-famous company. The family’s port wine house was founded at that time. However, it was not until 1987, when Dirk van der Niepoort joined his father Rolf in the family business, that the company owned its own vineyards. Up to this point, Niepoort was a classic port wine dealer: the base wines were bought from winegrowers in the Douro, nurtured and matured, then blended and marketed from the company wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia Oporto.