DIRK VAN DER NIEPOORT (Douro)
Dócil Vinho Verde dry white

Dirk Van der Niepoort, a talented Port producer, is an unusual character: quirky, visionary and intuitive. Twenty-five years ago, he set out to introduce the quality of the wines of northern Portugal, while remaining faithful to Portuguese know-how and grape varieties. He has created a plethora of vintages (more than 50!) highlighting here a terroir, there a grape variety or unconventional winemaking. Faithful to ancestral Portuguese traditions, Mr Van der Niepoort makes his red wines by blending local grape varieties: touriga nacional, touriga franca, tinta roriz, alfrocheiro, baga, jaen...

The term Vinho Verde originally referred to young and fresh wines and applied to both whites and reds. It has long been synonymous with white wines with a formidable acidity because they come from still green grapes. Mr. Van der Niepoort created this Dócil cuvée to demonstrate that a good Vinho Verde could be "docile". Vinified and matured in stainless steel vats, this wine made from the Loureiro grape variety on a granitic terroir offers a refreshing, crisp and fresh palate with floral (hawthorn, fern) and fruity (green apple, grapefruit, lime) aromas. And only 11° because the Vinho Verde appellation is not granted to wines titling more than 11°5.

Dirk Van der Niepoort, a talented Port producer, is an unusual character: quirky, visionary and intuitive. Faithful to Portuguese know-how and grape varieties, he has created an abundance of vintages (more than 50!) highlighting here a terroir, there a grape variety or unconventional vinification. This year, in collaboration with his wife (who is passionate about Japanese tea), he is offering a rather special gift set:

- 1 bottle of his classic Tawny Port, aged for 7 years in small oak barrels,
- 1 box of Pipa Cha (75g), an organic Oolong tea matured in the barrels used to age the Port.