LBV..... The Vintage that is now fully ready to drink for you.

The Niepoort LBV Port has a delicious sweet, sultry nose with aromas of ripe forest fruits, black cherries, and hints of chocolate and black pepper. It is robust and full-bodied, with ripe fruit and a fresh, lively finish. It pairs very well with dark chocolate dishes and even with a pepper steak! Choosing cheese? Then go for a good piece of intense blue cheese such as Stilton or similar. Aged Gouda crumbly cheese also works perfectly! LBV stands for Late Bottled Vintage. The Niepoort LBV Port is bottled only after a long maturation in large wooden barrels. This port, produced only in the best vintages, is a blend of wines from a single specific vintage. With the LBV, Port producers devised a middle ground: precisely between Ruby Port (a dark, intense blend of various vintages, meant to be drunk young) and Vintage Port (port from one specific successful vintage, which is at its best only after long bottle aging). By aging the LBV in large wooden casks for 4-6 years (a Vintage Port undergoes 2-4 years of wood aging), it possesses the same intensity in color and fruit aromas as a Vintage Port, but also more developed aromas that make it more accessible, softer, and sooner drinkable.

The typical port grape varieties such as Touriga Nacional, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz, and Tinta Barroca form the cornerstone of port. In the autumn, the grapes are brought to Vale Mendiz, an old port museum where winemaker Nick Delaforce subjects the wines-to-be to a special short fermentation. After a few days, the fermentation process is abruptly interrupted by the addition of wine alcohol. This creates a fortified wine, which is dry or sweet depending on the amount of residual sugars remaining: port. After this process, the wines are handed over to José Nogueira in Vila Nova de Gaia. He blends them into characterful wines of incredible quality.

If you like Port, you like Niepoort

In a beautiful spot, in the heart of the Douro, we find the headquarters of Niepoort Vinhos: Quinta de Nápoles. A sort of James Bond-esque building... Right on the River Tedo – a tributary of the Douro – which winds like a shimmering vein along the steep wine terraces. Here, Dirk van der Niepoort heads the age-old family business. Dirk is a descendant of the sixth generation of winemakers, in a company founded in 1842 by the Dutchman Eduard Kebe. ​​What once started as a young boy has since grown into a renowned port and wine house that has earned a place in the hearts of many wine connoisseurs. Dirk therefore manages to surprise continuously, partly thanks to his idiosyncratic vision! Dirk Niepoort is an almost surprisingly modest man. You will almost never see him in a suit and tie, and you get the clear impression that, despite the fact that he regularly tours the world to promote his port and wine house, he is happiest in his wine cellars.v