2022 Niepoort Coche Branco

Niepoort's most prestigious white wine, boasting a complex profile reminiscent of a great Burgundy, with notes of honey, brioche, citrus fruit, and aromatic herbs thanks to aging in lightly toasted French oak barrels.

Producer

Niepoort

Region

Douro Valley

Country

Portugal

Varietal

Rabigato

Varietal Composition

Field blend of mostly Rabigato, with Códega do Larinho, Arinto, and others in the mix

Specifications

2022

Vintage

2031

Drink By

ABV

Vinification

After whole cluster pressing and letting for 48 hours, this was native fermented in 228L and 550L French barrels (50% new), with partial MLF, where it remained 1 year on lees for 1 year.

Occasional wine note

We tried this while visiting the Portugal and begged our distributor for some to add to our collection. No dice! As luck would have it, we had a chance to taste it again with Danile Niepoort while he was visiting California, and again we begged. This time we scored. The 2022 vintage might be even better than the '21 we tried while in Portugal. The Burgundian style really shines here. If this were presented in a Somm exam, I would definitely think this was a Grand Cru White Burgundy made in Cote d'Or. The minerality, the layers of aromas and flavors, the elegance. This is an exquisite wine.

What experts say about this wine

100

James Suckling

This has a lovely nose of pears and quince with flinty notes. The palate is sophisticated, well constructed and medium- to full-bodied. It progresses beautifully with electric freshness and concludes with a long and persistent phenolic saline touch. Textural, layered and harmonious. A blend made from mostly old-vine rabigato planted above 600 meters on mica schist soil.

100

pairing recommendation