Bioma Crusted (bottled 2017)

Learn More About This Wine

The Bioma Crusted Port (Bottled 2014) is a further step up (if that’s even possible!) from the Niepoort Crusted Port. Traditionally, Crusted Port is selected from wines of Vintage quality, from two or three harvests, undergoes no fining or filtration, and is released three years after bottling. The origins of the Bioma Crusted (Bottled 2014) place this Port in a different league – the grapes stem from the exceptional Vinha da Pisca vineyard, most of whose vines exceed the age of 80, and which, in a Vintage year, provides the backbone of Niepoort Vintage Ports. 

As the name suggests, Crusted Port will throw a natural deposit with time, therefore it is important to decant it before serving. The Niepoort Bioma Crusted Port (Bottled 2017) is most appealing in its youth, but will also benefit from several years of bottle ageing, during which it should be stored lying down. 

This Port originates predominantly from wines of the 2014 and 2015 harvest. Grapes were foot-trodden as 100% whole bunches in lagares at our winemaking facility in Valde de Mendiz. In spring, the wine was transferred to a very cool part of the winery at Quinta de Napoles and racked into pipas (the classic 550 litre wooden vats). This Bioma Crusted was therefore matured in pipas in the Douro, instead of in the usual large vats in Gaia, as they usually do with the Niepoort Crusted. The wine was bottled in 2017. The production was small, with a total of 10000 Litres.

With a vivid, deep dark red edge, this wine reveals notes of cherries and black plums, enhanced by a delicate touch of mint and licorice. The palate is dominated by smooth, well-integrated tannins, layered with lush ripe fruit and a lengthy finish. It’s a lively wine that is just starting to show signs of bottle aging. While already delightful to drink, it also has the potential to mature gracefully over many years.