NIEPOORT Vintage Port 'Bioma' Vinha Velha 2016 Bottle

Description

Niepoort's 2016 Bioma Vinha Velha Vintage Port is an impressive release, earning 95-97 points from The Wine Advocate. This single-plot Porto is noted for its deep concentration and powerful profile, brimming with brilliant fruit and flavour. The wine is intense, rich, delicious, and superb, with a release planned for spring 2019. It stands out as a worthy competitor to the fine Ports of the vintage and follows the exceptional 2015 Bioma. Decanter awards it 89 points, highlighting its charming and soft palate, with initial hints of liquorice and herbaceous tannins, although it shows some disjointedness on the nose that requires time to integrate. This vintage promises great potential and is best enjoyed from 2028 onwards.

*****

THE WINE ADVOCATE (95 - 97) points
Drink Date: 2027 - 2070
The 2016 Bioma Vinha Velha Vintage Port is not set to be bottled for several months, which is a little too far in the future by my normal protocols. It is the final blend, though, and it is worth sneaking this beauty into the 2016 report this issue. This single-plot Porto is a worthy competitor to the fine Ports in this vintage and to the 2015 Bioma (Niepoort did not declare his normal blended Vintage Port in 2016). Deep, very concentrated and powerful, this is chock-full of brilliant fruit and flavor. It's intense, rich, delicious and superb. This will be released in the spring of 2019, lagging behind most of the 2016s. It will be worth the wait. P.S. I had a quick look at the 2017. It's a long way from being ready, admittedly, but it may well be even better. We will have fun arguing over the 2015, 2016 and 2017 as the years march on.

DECANTER 89 points
Tasted by: Richard Mayson
(at Decanter Magazine's December 2018 issue Port 2016 vintage report, 30 May 2018) Part of Port 2016: Vintage report and top releases
Drinking Window: 2028 - 2045
In 2016 Niepoort made Bioma, an organic Port from old vines grown on a single estate. It is still a bit disjointed on the nose, needing time to knit together, but still very charming. The palate is soft and fleshy, initially with a hint of liquorice but quite light overall with rather herbaceous tannins.