For The Love Of Port

I bought a bottle of Quinta do Passadouro, vintage 1997. It says that it is bottled and shipped by Niepoort. I assume this is just a Quinta from Niepoort, but how does it compare to the vintage 1997 Niepoort? Is this common for producers to make a vintage and a quinta on the same year? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hi Matt,

If I'm not wrong, Niepoort was actually vinifying the grapes for the Quinta do Passadouro, they did not own the Quinta. But recently the Quinta's owner decided to do everything by themselves and they hired employees to produced their port as Single Quinta just like many others are doing, Quinta do la Rosa, Quinta do Crasto as examples.

It is not unusual to see producers doing a Vintage and a Single Quinta the same year but it is not very common. Cockburn is doing it with Quinta do Canais. Fonseca is also doing it, in 1991 and 2001 they release a Guimaraens VP and a Quinta do Panascal VP. Now Niepoort added a Secundum VP since 1999 I think and the 2000 was their last Passadouro VP.

I was unable to get some VP 1997 from Niepoort but I grab 2 Passadouro. I have not yet open one, but I have read on Wine lovers page TN section that in a compared tasting, the Passadouro was showing as good as the Niepoort's 1997 VP. Only time will time if its going to hold as long but it is certainly encouraging.

Fred,
Thanks for the information. The local wine shop has it for $29.99 so, based off of what you are saying, I think I will pick up a couple more bottles.

IIRC, Dieter Bohrmann is the owner of Quinta do Passadouro, along with other properties in France and, I believe, Germany.

Dirk Niepoort was indeed bottling the wine for Passadouro at Niepoort, and was acting as consulting winemaker I believe, but the companies were never under the same umbrella/same ownership. Passadouro was, and is, completely separate from Niepoort.

As Fred indicated, now Passadouro is on their own, and is producing table wine from the Douro as well as Porto.

Cheers,
Jason