Niepoort Branco

Description

Niepoort O Navazos‑Niepoort is a very special white wine. It comes from a collaboration between Equipo Navazos, known for its projects of recovery and marketing of old Jerez wines, and the renowned Portuguese winemaker Dirk Niepoort. Made from the Palomino Fino grape, the wine ferments in a barrel and ages for four to five months under a flor, a traditional method used since the 18th century in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. At that time, the practice of fortification (or “encabeçamento”) was uncommon in white wines destined for local consumption. As Agustín Fernández noted in 1801 in the article “Cultivo de las viñas y modo de hacer el vino en Sanlúcar de Barrameda”, published in issue 213 of the *Semanario de Agricultura y Artes* directed to parish priests, a notable illustrated publication of the era, after stating that the best grapes were the listanes (Palomino Fino) and that the best vineyards were on white soils, he wrote: > “Os brancos, sendo a uva de boa qualidade, nada precisam; é verdade que alguns costumam adicionar-lhes um quarto de aguardente de refino para os estabilizar; mas correm com isso o risco de se tornarem bastos” (p. 59). Adding this testimony to the fact that, already at the beginning of the 18th century, a consolidated classification of vineyards according to merit existed, the main quality attributes of wines from that era can be identified: a) Palomino Fino grape b) From the best plots (vineyards of greatest reputation) c) Fermented in “bota” – oak barrels of 500–600 litres, typical of Andalusia, used for fermentation and ageing under flor d) With indigenous yeasts e) Created under a flor, which forms immediately after alcoholic fermentation f) No addition of alcohol Before the term “manzanilla” (originating from Cádiz) was popularised, this type of wine was simply known as white wine. Navazos‑Niepoort bottled vintages: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023.

Taste this wine at:

Niepoort Vinhos

São João da Pesqueira Douro Wine Shop