Niepoort Garrafeira Port 1938, bottled in 1943, decanted in 1977

Niepoort Garrafeira Port 1938 – Bottled in 1943, decanted in 1977: a ritualistic masterpiece from the Douro

The Niepoort Garrafeira Port 1938, bottled in 1943 and decanted into bottles in 1977, is an exceptional wine from one of Portugal’s most distinguished port wine dynasties. The Niepoort estate was founded in 1842 by Franciscus Marius van der Niepoort in Vila Nova de Gaia and is now run by Dirk Niepoort, the fifth generation of the family. The house’s wines enjoy a legendary reputation amongst connoisseurs, and the Garrafeira style is regarded as the pinnacle of the art of port.

What makes this port so unique is the Garrafeira style, which the Niepoort family has perfected. At the end of the 19th century, the family’s second generation acquired around 4,000 demijohns – dark green glass demijohns with a capacity of eight to eleven litres. Eduard Marius van der Niepoort, the grandfather of the current winemaker, began ageing the finest wines of the vintage in these glass demijohns in 1931, thereby establishing the ‘Garrafeira Niepoort’ style. Niepoort is now the sole producer of this style of port, and only ten vintages have ever been produced: 1931, 1933, 1938, 1940, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1964, 1967 and 1977. The ageing process in the cork-sealed glass demijohns is still meticulously monitored to this day – an almost ‘sacred’ ritual for the family.

The 1938 vintage in the Douro Valley was characterised by a dry, warm summer. The harvest proved to be healthy and concentrated. Winemaking followed the estate’s traditions: the grapes were fermented in granite lagares, followed by the early addition of wine distillate. After initial ageing in wooden casks, the wine was transferred to demijohns in 1943, where it matured for over three decades before being decanted into bottles in 1977. The 1938 vintage served as the base wine for the Garrafeira for Dirk Niepoort’s grandfather, Eduardo; however, a small number of half-bottles were bottled as vintage port in 1943 so that its development could be monitored.

The tasting notes paint a picture of a wine of rare perfection. Tastingbook describes a perfectly transparent, orange-red colour, a balanced, delicately spiced bouquet with notes of coffee, malt and honey, and a creamy, multi-layered texture on the palate with rich spicy notes, malt, smoke and toffee, and a long, complex finish – awarded 99 points. The Baghera Wines Masterclass awarded five stars and described a clear, crystalline amber colour, fine and complex aromas of dried bananas, dates, redcurrants, vanilla, coffee and chocolate, with impressive roundness and body, perfect balance and hints of a very old Yquem, as well as notes of rum and distilled grain. A taster on ThePortForum noted a beautiful colour of polished redwood, a nose of sultanas soaked in redcurrant juice, soft on the palate with a hint of spirit and powerful acidity, notes of honey, elegant fruit and delicate floral tones, as well as a slight smokiness that lends the palate an air of mystery – 89/100 points. Another taster on For The Love Of Port described a light golden-brown and orange colour, a nose of toffee and Madeira, and strong flavours of buttery toffee on the palate, with little fruit; they rated the wine as “still very good, but probably past its peak” – 90/100 points.

Wine Spectator awarded the 1938 Niepoort Garrafeira 95 points and described it as “one of the greatest Ports I have ever tasted ”. The community rating on CellarTracker stands at 94 points.

Today, the 1938 Niepoort Garrafeira is a sought-after rarity that regularly fetches four-figure sums at auctions – such as those held by Christie’s or Sylvie’s. For lovers of great port wines, it offers a rare opportunity to experience a wine that bears the hallmark of one of Portugal’s most distinguished winemaking families and has retained remarkable vitality and elegance after more than eight decades of ageing.