Niepoort, Quinta de Baixo, Vinhas Velhas, Branco
Bairrada, Portugal 2013 (750mL)
Regular price$35.00
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Niepoort, Quinta de Baixo, Vinhas Velhas, Branco
Today’s offer is a sneak peak of what I believe will be a ‘wine of the moment’ in top restaurants and boutique retail shops. With 2013 being its inaugural release, Niepoort’s Bairrada Branco (white) from old vines and ancient barrels will be my go-to answer when making a case for blue-chip Portuguese wines. A blend of two native white varieties—Maria Gomes and Bical—this has the electricity, focus, and texture of a classic Puligny-Montrachet, while flaunting the Atlantic-influenced minerality and salty accents of Bairrada.
I’ve always been impressed with Niepoort’s wines, but today’s bottle takes my perception to a whole new level. You’re going to be stunned at how much wine is being offered at this price point. As much as I love the wonderfully-layered wines of Puligny and Chassagne, their value-for-dollar can’t come close to matching this. It hardly seems to add up, either: grapes from 100-year-old, biodynamically-farmed vines that are then aged for nearly two years in German barrels that were coopered in the mid-1900s? Sounds like the making of a movie rather than a wine. At the time of this writing, only a few European shops have their hands on this. Needless to say, production is limited, quality is superb, and this is just waiting to become the wine that surprises and overwhelmingly delights your friends. Not to wax overly rhapsodic, but wines like this are why I’m in this business! Quantity is very limited; only six bottles per person today.
I’ve always been impressed with Niepoort’s wines, but today’s bottle takes my perception to a whole new level. You’re going to be stunned at how much wine is being offered at this price point. As much as I love the wonderfully-layered wines of Puligny and Chassagne, their value-for-dollar can’t come close to matching this. It hardly seems to add up, either: grapes from 100-year-old, biodynamically-farmed vines that are then aged for nearly two years in German barrels that were coopered in the mid-1900s? Sounds like the making of a movie rather than a wine. At the time of this writing, only a few European shops have their hands on this. Needless to say, production is limited, quality is superb, and this is just waiting to become the wine that surprises and overwhelmingly delights your friends. Not to wax overly rhapsodic, but wines like this are why I’m in this business! Quantity is very limited; only six bottles per person today.
Niepoort was historically lionized for its Port wines (especially Tawnies), but the new generation is creating immensely complex, unfortified wines. Founded in 1842, the estate has always been family run without interruption, typically interwoven with multiple generations. Even the family of cellar master José Nogueira has been continuously involved at Niepoort since its inception. Two families that have worked together throughout five—nearing six—generations; that’s a true rarity. The current head of the estate, Dirk Niepoort, has been in charge for over 30 years now and is a veritable legend. After assuming control in the late ’80s, he set out to look for unique microclimates planted to old vines. Having met and shared wine with Dirk several times, I can attest to his passion and curiosity.
Today’s wine was produced at the estate of Quinta de Baixo within the Bairrada zone. Dirk has eyed this undercover coastal region since the 1990s and after meeting and establishing a strong relationship with the owners here, Niepoort purchased the property outright at the end of 2012. The following year was their inaugural release (today’s wine). Upon purchasing, Dirk decided to convert everything to biodynamics, and he didn’t do so lightly. He relocated to Quinta de Baixo during the conversion, monitoring every step along the way.
Dirk loves Bairrada dearly due to its cool yet humid maritime climate. Grapes retain a great deal of acidity here and the region is directly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean (it’s practically bordering the coast). Some of his vines are pushing a century old, with the average hovering around 80 years of age. Soils are predominantly calcareous clay, which is ideal for Dirk, considering his love for Burgundy. After hand harvesting, grapes were carefully sorted and both alcoholic and malolactic (the nose has a wonderful creaminess) fermentation occurred in 1000-liter Mosel Fuders of 60+ years of age. The wine then aged for 20 months in these same barrels. It was bottled unfiltered and less than 500 cases were produced.
In the glass, the wine shows a straw-yellow core moving to hints of green and silver, with slow moving tears that hug the side of the glass after every swirl. The nose erupts with perfumed fruit, flowers, and salt preserved lemon, lime blossom, Anjou pear, yellow apple skin, white flowers, oyster shell, and crushed stones, all of which are enveloped in a rich, underlying creaminess alongside incredible tension which brings the wine impeccable balance. Going off the nose, you’d expect a full-bodied, hedonistic wine on the palate, but this is where climate and a skilled winemaking hand comes into play. The wine showcases incredible freshness with unending layers of salt-kissed fruit. It’s medium-bodied and full-flavored, with a long-lingering finish. Treat this like you would a fine Burgundy—give it a 15-30 minute decant and drink around 55-60 degrees, not too cold please, temperature is key. For that perfect pairing, try the attached recipe and feel feel to swap out the sole for your favorite fillet. I went with turbot. Cheers!
