Niepoort Redoma Reserva White 2022/2023

The Wine Defender
RP 95

Luis Gutiérrez: They use the oldest vineyards for the Redoma Reserva White 2022, which was also aged in slightly younger barrels (about 30% new). Whole bunches were pressed, and the juice fermented and matured on the lees in these barrels for about nine months. It's a rich and expressive wine, with a complex nose that reveals spices and smoke, aromatic herbs, dried flowers, and a touch of Burgundy. The palate is very balanced and even shows a touch of austerity, with a chalky finish, very flavorful and vibrant, making it the freshest of the 2022 wines. 31,200 bottles were bottled in July 2023. Douro whites need time in bottle; this one is accessible now but should age well.

Where to begin? I've known Dirk Niepoort for over 25 years and have followed his wines over the years. He never stops. He has expanded his company impressively. Since 2018, the still wines have reached a new level (always evolving, with 2013 and 2021 cited as other years of change) with the arrival of winemaker Luis Pedro Cândido da Silva and the new generation of the Niepoort family, especially his son Daniel, who joined the team in 2020. Today, they produce wines not only in the Douro region, but also in several regions of Portugal—Dão, Alentejo, Vinho Verde, Bairrada...

The style is elegant, but they want the wines to age in the bottle, so for them, it's all about balance. Some vineyards and wines have been certified organic since 2008. All of Niepoort's own vineyards are certified organic, but some of the grapes they purchase are not. Daniel Niepoort, who is now much more focused on the vineyards, told me that organic farming is very important to him, but that the winegrowers are also crucial. They want to maintain a close relationship with these producers and be an example to prove that organic farming is viable, convincing them through practice.

In 2022, only 202 liters of rain fell (slightly less than in 2003!), but the vines adapted to the water shortage, and yields were better than expected. There was some rain during the harvest, as well as the presence of fungi. It was one of the most dramatic vintages in viticulture, and some plants died. However, 2022 was excellent for Port wine. 2021 was a great year for dry wines (but not for Port), with good soil water reserves. It was considered a perfect agricultural year, with good yields, a mild spring and summer, a longer cycle, and ideal grape ripening. It can be compared to 2018, 2008, and 2001—cooler years with higher acidity.

2020 was hot and dry, resulting in healthier grapes. However, it was the COVID-19 harvest, and this caused problems in the vineyards; everything was atypical that year.

As for 2023, although it's still too early to say for sure, it was an excellent year in the Douro, and, for Luis Pedro, the best he's ever seen in the region.