Roy Hersh:
2007 Niepoort Vintage Port – (Finished bottle) I often find that this decade’s Niepoort Vintage Ports aligns very closely with what I enjoy most stylistically in a VP; nonetheless, with 49 foil wrapped bottles before me, I had no idea which was which. From the first sip and until bottle #39 was near empty, (not to mention a 2nd bottle hand carried back to the USA) everything about it appealed to my senses. The nose was crammed with dark berry fruits and earthy notes from smoky cedar and tobacco, to spicy white pepper, cinnamon stick and an herbal, pine resin undertone. Like great Madeira, each whiff presented its own mélange of new scents. Fantastic as it was, I preferred the intricacy of the fresh and driven palate presence. Like the Portmaker himself, the 2007 Niepoort possesses many layers of character. This Port leads a procession of incongruent qualities: massive density and concentration of fruit yet sensual freshness on the palate and great harmony overall. Insanely tannic and grippy, yet voluptuous velvet textural pleasure in the mouth along with easy approachability. One of the most profound and longest finishes of any bottle I tasted during a week in Portugal, with 40-60 years of cellar worthiness ahead of it, yet I’d open a bottle to share with friends during or after dinner tonight. It’s all there in a hedonistic brew, harmonious and complex. 96-98+ points 7/20/09
