Niepoort, Vertente, Douro Tinto 2019

€27.99

A bona fide modern classic, this wine is one of the foundation posts for the growth of the Portuguese still-wine market in the past two decades. Made by one of the true pioneers of the wine world, it is elegant, complex and full of fruit flavours, structure and the freshness that comes from all of the amazing Niepoort wines.

It has a full range of red fruits with integrated spice and superb acidity, balanced by smooth tannins, medium body and a reassuring classiness and finesse.

Made from a blend of many different sites that Niepoort own, this is a wine that represents their very presence in the Douro valley and is mostly sourced from vines that are between 50 and 80 years old. It is part winery-flagship, manifesto for the region, champion of indigenous grape varieties and celebration of an alternative modern vision of European wine making and wine culture. In all these things it is consistent and is like a brilliant calling-card for the winery as well as for the region. You have to remember that until this wine hit the market, most of us thought of the Douro (if ever at all) as the place that end up in Porto and is the source of grapes used to make Port. Vertente changed that view in an instant.

Aged for 22 months in a range of old and new oak barrels of varying sizes, this wine is quite similar in many ways to a classic Claret. It's obviously not at all like that in the makeup of grapes - Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and other indigenous Portuguese varieties - but it is useful to have a 'hook' if you don't already know the style of the region. The integrated spice, red fruit and moderate tannins, age-worthiness and a sense of structure that points to elegance, refinement and tradition (if such a thing can be pointed toward at all...). It possesses a certain classiness - that's about the long and short of it - that you find in really fine wines from Saint Estephe and Saint Julien, or Listrac and Moulis if you're being very specific...!

Region: Douro

Country: Portugal

Grape(s): Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Roriz

Style: Svelte, Structured, Smooth, Medium Bodied, Iconic, Elegant, Complex, Balanced

Best food matches: Venison, Veal, Steak, Pork, Lamb, Hard Cheeses, Charcuterie

Alcohol: 12.5%

Why buy from us?

When you buy wine from The Allotment Wine Co. you're helping a small Irish company that in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers who grow the grapes and make amazing wines. We only work with partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.

Delivery & Returns

You'll get free delivery when you buy 12 x 75cl bottles of wine online from The Allotment, saving you €7.99.

We charge €7.99 per delivery for quantities less than that.

Our hours for processing orders are between 9am - 6pm Monday to Friday.

We pack your online wine order along the following timelines:

Wine orders for delivery in Dublin, received before 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected the next working day.

Wine orders for nationwide delivery, received by 12pm on weekdays are prepared so that delivery should be expected two working days later.

Customer reviews

★★★★★
Great choice and excellent service. Received my delivery the next day.
Paul H.
★★★★★
Amazing service from the get go!
I emailed Chris looking for wine recommendations for a birthday gift. Got a really speedy, helpful reply and not only that but he hand delivered it on time to the birthday girl wishing her a happy birthday. Absolutely bowled over by the service. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Michelle McM.
★★★★★
Could not recommend The Allotment enough. The selection is fantastic and each wine that I've drank from them has been utterly phenomenal. Delivery was no hassle and I had the wine at my door in 2 days. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Luke B.
★★★★★
Good range of interesting wines. Good personal attention to their orders. Very customer focused. I would be happy to recommend this company to any prospective customer.
Jim D.
★★★★★
A great experience ordering from The Allotment Wine Company. A wide variety of wines to try something new and at good prices with super quick delivery! Really convenient too as opposed to trying to find parking!
N. Dowling
★★★★★
Delicious and interesting range of wines delivered promptly to my door. Not far off that lovely feeling of coming back laden from a good wine store but without any of the traffic or the worry of breaking the wine en route (very impressive travel wrap).
M. Dorman
★★★★★
Chris fields a fine range of excellent, keenly-priced wines. Orders are safely packaged and dispatched efficiently and promptly. Strongly recommended.
David M.
★★★★★
Great selection of wines, hassle free ordering, payment and delivery. Highly recommended.
Patrick H.
Hi, I'm Chris Gifford.

And you're very welcome to The Allotment Wine Co.

When you wine from me, you're supporting a small Irish business which in turn supports small, sustainable wine producers, as well as other small, dedicated Irish wine importers.

When selecting wines, I look for partners who share a deep respect and connection with the land and its traditions, witnessed in a firm commitment to quality and sustainability. All of which makes for better wines.