Niepoort Poeirinho

Introduction

The Poeirinho is a wine produced solely from the grapes of our Quinta de Baixo vineyards. These are grown organically and carry the SATIVA certification.Poeirinho, whose name refers to the former designation of the Baga grape variety, is a tribute to the great Bairrada wines of the past, which were light in colour and low in alcohol but offered a tremendous ageing potential. Dirk Niepoort’s great passion for this grape variety and the fantastic terroir of the Bairrada region inspired us over the past few years to acquire a number of small but very old Baga vineyard sites around the Cantanhede area.

Vinification

The 2021 vintage saw some unexpected rain showers which made it more challenging to control disease pressure. Despite this, we managed to maintain our vineyards’ good health. Spring brought some spikes in temperature, which meant that our grapes ripened earlier and that the harvest was brought forward. Harvesting began with our white wine grapes, on 26 August, and concluded with the reds on 26 September. It was a good year, characterised by balanced acidity, intense colour and lower alcohol levels compared to the previous vintage. This year, the Quinta de Baixo wines shine with elegance and freshness. The Poeirinho was made using grapes from various very old vineyard parcels. It was fermented in open lagares and in closed tanks where it went through carbonic maceration and where it remained for 4 weeks, before completing its fermentation in wooden vats. The wine went through malolactic fermentation in the used 2500L wooden vats, where it also aged for 25 months. It was bottled unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

This wine shows a beautiful pale purple hue. Its aromas are linear, very delicate, and complex. Initially, floral notes and drier nuances such as tobacco appear, on a foundation of rhubarb, cherries and red berries, complemented by hints of spice and mint. The palate offers a delicate structure; elegant but with tension and acidity that lend the wine longevity. A long, expressive, and spicy finish lingers in the mouth.