For The Love Of Port

I first drank the Niepoort 97 back in 2000, just a year after it's release, and it was massive; dark, brooding, and impenetrable. I had it again just a couple of nights ago and it was definitely quite a different wine. It had lightened considerably to a bright purple/raspberry color and the nose was really open with complex coffee and eucalyptus notes, but there was an odd sort of high-toned quality to it also, almost like a whiff of nail polish or mineral spirits. I've popped my share of corked wines in the past and feel like I have a pretty good sense of when a wine is tainted, but when it comes to port I've so rarely come across a bad bottle that I always second guess myself when something seems awry, and most often it turns out to be something that just blows off and disappears after some more airing out (This one was decanted for 3 or 4 hours and then drunk over the next couple of hours). In this case the note was constant, and though it was odd, it didn't overpower the other aspects of the wine or ruin the experience for me, but it was strange. I'm wondering A) If Anyone else has noted anything similar in this particular VP, and B) If anyone has an opinion as to whether this does in fact sound like the bottle was tainted. I'd appreciate any feedback on this as I have a couple more bottles of Niepoort 97 in my cellar that I plan to open further down the road and wonder whether I should expect the same strange edge to it the next time around. Oh, I should say by the way, that aside from this thing with the nose, this was a delicious bottle of port - very unique earthy flavors and big depth and structure - needs lots of time. Cheers!

Lamont, this topic has been covered widely already on this forum. It is indeed and badly a common flaw that many bottles of 97 Niepoort VP are sharing too often. In fact, it seems that only Mr Suckling is drinking the good 97 with all his high rating he keeps on giving to this wine. I've tasted this once and it fits your description.

Keep on posting your great tasting notes!

Thanks for the heads up Frederick. I'm sorry to hear that this seems to be a common assessment of this wine.

Dirk Niepoort has stated that the 1997 has shown some VA (volital acidity...think nail polish remover) for an unknown reason. Its not new to Niepoort Ports, and has been an occassional reocurring issue since about the 80's. Dirk has stated they don't know what is causing it, as it doesn't appear in all the bottles only a percentage. I wouldn't stop buying their Ports and FWIW I still buy MANY Niepoort Ports of all ages. Some VA for me is not a major put off, as I like Madeira too and that is pure VA! I've also not had a Niepoort that I've gotten VA on so I am either lucky or it is like Dirk has said, it only shows up in a small amount of some of the Ports...I'll think the later is most probable as Dirk is quite up front about this when asked and he has to be one of the most stand up producers in the Douro.

I avoid buying the 1997 Niepoort after LadyR and I had some nasty VA experiences with it. A pity, as I usually love Niepoort vintages and would gladly drink a good bottle from this year.

I've been avoiding the 97 Niepoorts as well from what I have read and what Fred tells me.

I was planning to open one of mine soon. I think i will do it this weekend, am very curious if its true. I also hear stories about leaking corks on this particular bottling. Interesting would be if only the leakers show VA and the rest is good. Will post a TN next week about this.

I have a case of 12 in storage that I planned to keep until fully mature but after reading this thread I am slightly depressed

Although this recent bottle that I drank showed a lot of that volatility, the one I popped some years back had none of it. I think I'm going to sit on the couple of bottles that I have and just hope that they turn out like the first one I drank and not the second...good luck!

Derek T. wrote:I have a case of 12 in storage that I planned to keep until fully mature but after reading this thread I am slightly depressed

Keep your head up Derek, I have had two bottles to date and did not notice any VA. My bottles were fantastic, indulgent examples of a wine I think may go ~50 years (or so I hope).

And I only drank them young so that I could wait for this moment to help out a slightly depressed guy from the UK who would never murder them young to put his mind at rest

Jay

Jay Powers wrote:And I only drank them young so that I could wait for this moment to help out a slightly depressed guy from the UK who would never murder them young to put his mind at rest

Jay

[/quote]

Thanks for taking one (or two) for the team Jay

Derek

I have 6 bottles 0,75l, thereof drunk 2 leaker, without VA. I also have 4 untouched Mags without leaker.

I bought a case in late '06, knowing the risk of problems, and found seven out of twelve showing signs of seepage - albeit slight. There was no significant impact on levels.

I opened the worst one at the beginning of last year and found it to be an excellent wine, but still far too young. Examining the cork, I noted it to be of inferior quality, which might go some way to explain the seepage problems.

I have it in mind to re-cork the other offenders, but have no plans to drink any for at least another five years.

Tom

I also bought a case of the 97 and it has been in long term storage since it was released.

I also have some concerns about the wine based on the posts here, but two years age I bought an odd lot of wines at an auction which included 2 btls of Neipoort 97 and 92.

One of the 97 showed signs of leakage so that was the first bottle which I opened.

It was marvelous and it had a citrud component which I had never experienced in a port before.

The second bottle was as good as the first and both were better than the 92's.

No VA in either and I am sensitive to it.

So I have renewed hope for my case in the future.

When I bought my bottles, I visited the vendor so that I could take a look, and only picked out those without any signs of seepage... and there were a few that showed those signs. I also picked up a couple of magnums. None of the magnums I saw showed any seepage.

I have heard tell before that the seepage was due to some sort of rough handeling immediatly after botteling...Could be the magnums were treated differently?

Jay

There have been some reports of leaky magnums.

Dirk's explanation was to blame over hasty packing - laying the bottles on their sides too soon after corking.

When bottles are corked, the insertion of the cork creates a high gas pressure within the bottle. Bottles are normally stood upright for a day or two to allow the cork to settle and the gas pressure to subside.

If a bottle is laid down immediately after corking, the gas pressure forces wine past the cork instead of air, spoiling the seal that the cork normally makes when in contact with the glass.

Tom

Tx for the info. Tom .
I'll remember that when opening my Niepoort '97 .

Tom is right, Dirk has stated that during the bottling, the freshly bottled and corked wines were laid on their sides too soon after bottling, causing many to show signs of leakage. Not a big deal as it occurred right after bottling and nit due to heat damage or other factors. But it does now make it hard to determine what was some small leakage right after bottling and what was caused by heat damage from improper storage over the past years. I would suggest buying from retailers that you know and trust have stored them properly.