2024 Niepoort, Douro Branco, Coche

Niepoort is a family-owned producer based in the Douro Valley that has maintained its winemaking operations since 1842. This wine is made from a blend of Rabigato, Códega do Larinho, and Arinto, sourced from vines over 80 years old grown in high-altitude mica-schist soils. In the glass, it presents a complex profile of citrus, stone fruit, and flinty reduction, with a silky texture and a persistent, saline-tinged finish. The 2024 vintage provided the necessary tension and freshness to balance the wine's rich, barrel-aged structure. This is a serious, nuanced white that offers immediate aromatic interest while possessing the fundamental balance required for several years of cellaring.