Niepoort Vinhos Sempar 2017

From a tasting in Manchester that we attended earlier in the year, this was one of the stand out wines (of which there were many). We do list several of their ports and wines – but not this one, until now!

After several projects with various partners in the Alentejo region, Dirk Niepoort decided to literally take matters into his own hands and explore Portalegre in the Alto Alenteje region on his own. “Sempar” means “unequalled”, “unique”, “incomparable” – a name which perfectly represents the style of Niepoort’s wine philosophy: uncomplicated wines which give maximum expression to the vineyards from which they are created.

The large majority of the grapes was destemmed. Fermentation took place in concrete amphorae in which the wine also aged for 36 months, without too much extraction.

An exuberant nose offers deeply expressive fruit. However, this is not just a fruit-driven wine, it also possesses tremendous freshness and an impressive bouquet. The Sempar has structure and balance, underscored by pronounced acidity as well as tannic precision. The very long finish points towards excellent ageing potential.