Niepoort vintage port 1963, bottled in 1965

Niepoort Vintage Port 1963 – Bottled in 1965: A monument to the Douro

The Niepoort Vintage Port 1963, bottled in 1965, is a wine of historic significance – a liquid monument to one of the greatest vintages the Douro Valley has ever produced. The Niepoort estate, founded in 1842 by Franciscus Marius van der Niepoort in Vila Nova de Gaia, looks back on a tradition spanning over 180 years 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 1963 vintage is regarded as one of the great vintage ports of the 20th century – both for the House of Niepoort and for the Douro Valley as a whole.

The 1963 vintage is recognised by all the great port houses and is regarded as monumental – a benchmark against which many subsequent vintages are measured. Power, depth and genuine character are the hallmarks of this memorable year. And even after more than 45 years, the finest wines continue to amaze with their three essential components: fruit, tannin and elegance. The 1963s almost always seem younger than they actually are. Conditions in the Douro Valley were ideal and resulted in wines with exceptional balance, power and ageing potential.

The winemaking process followed the estate’s traditions: the grapes – including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Barroca – were fermented in granite lagares, followed by the early addition of wine distillate. The wine matured for two years in wooden casks before being bottled unfiltered in 1965, where it continued to develop over the decades. As a vintage port, this wine has undergone very little oak ageing (less than two to three years) – bottled young so that it could continue to mature in the bottle for decades, thereby enhancing its quality.

The tasting notes paint a picture of a wine at the peak of its maturity. A taster on For The Love Of Port awarded it 96 points: initially very pale in colour straight from the bottle, it darkened remarkably after an hour’s decanting. The nose was very fresh and refined, with roses and other flowers, cranberry and coffee. On the palate, it started off syrupy, accompanied by coffee, toffee, chocolate, spices and a hint of leather. The finish was long and spicy with light fruit. After three hours in the decanter, the nose became fuller and fruitier, with notes of berries and concentrated strawberries – great balance and length, superbly refined. Another taster on The Port Forum noted: ‘Perfect bottle, perfect cork, very youthful appearance.’ On the palate, dominated by honey and toffee, with good complexity. For Dirk Niepoort himself, this was one of the best bottles he had ever tasted.

Wine Spectator awarded the wine 91 points and described it as firm, with great harmony between fruit and tannins, a medium ruby colour, a very ripe, earthy berry nose, medium body, excellent tannic backbone and a breathtaking array of grape and violet aromas. Tastingbook awards it 97 points. The aromas include red fruits, figs, dates, hints of cigar box, walnuts and orange peel, with soft tannins and a lingering finish.

A distinctive feature of this bottling is the traditional stencilling: The name of the wine, the winery, the vintage and other details were applied directly to the glass bottle using a stencil and white paint – a technique that was widespread in the 1950s and 60s, before paper labels became the norm. On the 1963 Niepoort, this stencilling is particularly distinctive and is regarded by collectors as an important indicator of authenticity.

Today, the Niepoort Vintage Port 1963 is a sought-after rarity. The recommended decanting time is two hours, and the wine is currently at its peak of drinkability. 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 significant winemaking families and has retained remarkable vitality and elegance after more than six decades of bottle ageing.