Niepoort Vertente Tinto 2023

Drink it now or cellar for up to 10 years. No need to decant, but best to open it half an hour before service. Founded in 1842 in the Douro Valley by Franciscus Marius Niepoort, the Niepoort winery quickly became famous for its Port wines. Since the late 1980s, the company has been led by Dirk Niepoort, who has expanded the production of table wines. The company is headquartered in Quinta de Nápolez. Vertente Tinto is a blend of Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, and other native grape varieties from vineyards between 50 and 80 years old. After the manual harvest, the grapes are reselected in the cellar and vinified in stainless steel truncated cone-shaped vats. The finished wine then ages for 22 months in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is balanced, pure and fresh, with good complexity and an intense, lively dark ruby ​​color. On the nose, it reveals a broad aromatic profile with floral notes of violet and fruity aromas of black cherry, plum, and rhubarb, followed by hints of graphite and herbs. On the palate, it is robust, rich, elegant, and rounded, with good fruit concentration and a refreshing acidity. The tannins are fine and smooth, and the finish is long and floral. It's quite versatile with food: it's excellent with many vegetarian dishes and rustic pies, with hearthy legume soups, with grilled meats, and with pasta with tomato sauces.