Niepoort Robustus, Douro

Description

Niepoort Robustus is a wine that pays tribute to the first Douro table wine that Dirk Niepoort produced in 1990 (with the same name and which was never released).

Niepoort Robustus: Douro Field Blend

Niepoort Robustus is a Douro field blend of Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and other grape varieties sourced from various vineyards, including Quinta do Carril, with an average vine age of 60 years, with some as old as 100 years. The grapes are harvested by hand and, upon reaching the cellar, the grapes were hand-sorted and gravity-fed into stainless steel tanks. There is a long fermentation with a period of 40 days of maceration. The wine is then transferred to the 2000 litre oak vats for the extended ageing period. The wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Niepoort Robustus: Traditional Winemaking

The philosophy behind the Niepoort Robustus is to use the traditional techniques of ageing in old wooden vats to soften the tannins in the wine. The wine is therefore aged for 42 months in 2000-litre wooden vats. This allows a powerful wine to develop, based on aromatic complexity. The balance of well-integrated tannins is derived from the length of time ageing and its great acidity.

Niepoort Robustus 2013 was matured in 2000 Litre barrels for almost 4 years before being bottled unfined and unfiltered in July 2017, giving a total of 3025 bottles.

Niepoort Vinhos: Since 1842

Niepoort Vinhos may be small, but it is a very well-regarded Portuguese wine producer with a rich history dating back to 1842. The company was founded by Franciscus Marius Niepoort from Holland and has been family-owned for six generations. Dirk Niepoort joined the family business in the late 1980s and brought a fresh perspective to the company. Previously, the company was best known for its Port Wines, and particularly their fine, aged Tawny Ports.

The New Generation

The sixth generation, Daniel, Marco and Ana, have all recently entered the family business. Daniel van der Niepoort is the head winemaker, having taken over from his father, wine-making legend Dirk Niepoort, in 2021.