Niepoort's 2022 Vintage Port comes from very old vines in the Cima Corgo zone (mostly around Pinhão), all made in lagar with 100% full clusters and matured in large (5,000- to 10,000-liter) oak vats. Dirk Niepoort wants a combination of powerful, classical vineyards with others he likes because of their elegance. The wine has a lot more finesse, but it's a little backwards and closed and took a good couple of hours to take off. It's chewy and long, with a lot of tannin, but the tannins are very refined. It has power and concentration; Niepoort wants a lot of concentration, unlike in the table wines, but the wine has an ethereal quality to it. Power and lightness—it's a wine that dances and has the energy of a ballet dancer, very long and with a dry finish. It has some 95 grams of sugar, less that it usually has, and the sugar is very integrated.

Inchide review

This has an intense nose of bramble fruit, together with dried fruit, very floral notes of violets, earth, peppercorn and a touch of graphite. It’s full-bodied with remarkable concentration that is counterbalanced by brilliant acidity and sophisticated tannins. It has an orderly and harmonious sense that will result in an exceptional wine. It's all about balance here — thought-provoking even in such a premature state. A mighty vintage from Niepoort

Inchide review