NIEPOORT - Drink Me 2019
Niepoort is located in the Douro Valley, in the north of Portugal. The estate has been an independent family business for over 150 years, where five generations have succeeded one another since its founding in 1842 by Franciscus Marius Niepoort, a Dutch immigrant. The fifth generation is represented by Eduard Dirk Niepoort and Verena Niepoort, his sister, since Eduard Rudolph Niepoort formally retired in 2005. The art of the master blender has also been passed down from generation to generation: José Nogueira was the fourth of his family to practice his art at Niepoort, where he worked for more than 50 years. His son José Rodrigo, who represents the fifth generation of the Nogueira family, joined the team in September 2006, and father and son worked together until 2011. Niepoort's mission is to produce Port wines and wines of the Douro differentiated thanks to the alliance of century-old tradition and innovation. The importance they attach to the need to interpret soils, climates and grape varieties have led them on the path of biodynamics in order to find the right balance between biodiversity and the least invasive possible intervention.
Drink Me is a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amerela and other local grape varieties, ranging in age from 10 to 40 years old. The harvest is manual, followed by fermentation in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats and barrels. The wine is aged for 14 months, 75% in stainless steel vatsand 25% in a combination of French oak barrels and old wood barrels. The idea is to create an accessible red wine while retaining the depth, minerality and complexity of Douro wines.
Grape varieties: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amerela and other local grape varieties
