Niepoort 'Garrafeira' 1952

[portdummy]

I have recently received a bottle of this wine, but am at a loss. I have researched a bit on this but haven't found a bottle like mine, which is not labelled as Garrafiera (as I understand is the case on old vintages), and is labelled "Bottled 1955" and "Decanted 1987". I get that these wines include bottled and decanted dates, but does this vary within a vintage? I've seen other 1952's online that have different dates. Thanks to anyone who can speak to this!
And also, anyone out there familiar with this wine at all???

[Glenn E.]

Have no fear, your bottle sounds like it is perfectly normal. I have had that same bottling of the 1952 Niepoort Garrafeira before, though my most recent experience with it here in Seattle with Dirk Niepoort himself was bottled in '55 and decanted in '84.

Obviously there were at least two different bottlings of the 1952 but I think that there might have been three - a '74 as I recall. If I can find anything on a possible 3rd bottling I'll follow up. (Just confirmed the '74 bottling, so no need to follow up.)

Here's my TN from the 55/84 bottle I just had:

Color: faded tawny, slightly cloudy. It looks old in the glass.
Nose: tobacco/cigarette, followed by vanilla and some faint confectioner's sugar.
Palate: Nice balance - good acidity counters the sweetness, though the overall impression is a bit on the dry side for Port. Some mute citrus notes and a coffee finish. Also a very faint mint-like note.
Score: 89 points

At this tasting it bested the 1950 Garrafeira but was in turn bested by the 1940 Garrafeira.

[portdummy]

Excellent Glenn, many thanks. This is a gift for a friend's upcoming birthday (60th of course!) so just hoping for a little education. Although I own and run a small wine wholesale business, I remain seriously a portdummy....

[Zelandakh]

That sounds like a lovely one - hope it is enjoyed...

[Alex Bridgeman]

It should be a fabulous port. Please let us know how it tastes when you open it.

[pgmguy]

Just for reference, Garrafeira is a style that only Niepoort uses, and is basically a Colheita (wine from a single harvest) but aged in big glass containers, brought from Dirk's grandfather from Germany, instead of wood!

[RAYC]

Just for reference, Garrafeira is a style that only Niepoort uses, and is basically a Colheita (wine from a single harvest)but aged in big glass containers, brought from Dirk's grandfather from Germany, instead of wood!

Purchased from a french perfume importer is the story i heard!

They do spend their initial 6 or 7 years in wood, i think.

[JacobH]

Something I hadn't appreciated before I visited the Niepoort cellars is that a few of their tawny Ports seem to get the glass treatment before being blended. There's therefore more Port being matured that way than that which will become future garrafeira. (Although I may have misunderstood what was going on, so don't quote me on this!)

I find it interesting how similar this process is to maturing cognacs which are also stored in demi-johns once they reach optimal maturity if there is no intention to use them immediately. I don't think it's otherwise done very much in the port industry, except for the storage of delicate young wines in steel rather than oak barrels.

[mosesbotbol]

The Garrafeiras I have had from Niepoort have all had different bottles than their VP or Colheita. They were greenish colored with a textured finish.

[RAYC]

They were greenish colored with a textured finish.

Dimpled? (almost like a golf ball?)

[griff]

I had the 1952 in a bottle with a straw cover.

[mosesbotbol]

They were greenish colored with a textured finish.

Dimpled? (almost like a golf ball?)

Yes

[Andy Velebil]

They were greenish colored with a textured finish.

Dimpled? (almost like a golf ball?)

Yes

I have a '52 in front of me now and it is smooth green glass. But IIRC, there have been more than one bottling of the '52

[marc j.]

I can't say that I've seen any dimpled Niepoort Garrafeira bottles. I just checked out five vintages and all of the bottles were a smooth greenish glass.

[Andy Velebil]

The 1940 I have is dimpled glass. "Bottled in 1945, Decanted in 1970"