The 2019 Vintage Port is a field blend from old vines (80 to 100 years old) aged for 21 months in large Portuguese oak vats. It comes in with 88 grams per liter of residual sugar and 19.3% alcohol. This was originally seen about three months after bottling. It has settled in a bit, but it still has a long life ahead. Fresh, as always, this also has a beautiful expression of fruit. It is delicious and ripe, with many more years ahead. It isn't drinking too badly now, but of course it has not even begun to acquire complexity. This is a beauty, but its best years are ahead.

The 2017 Vintage Port is a field blend from old vines (80 to 100 years old). It comes in with 89 grams per liter of residual sugar. This was set for bottling in two weeks, but it was the final blend. Even when open for a couple of days, this was still tight, muscular and concentrated, grabbing the palate and never letting go. On opening, it was fragrant and delicious, but even then, there was plenty of muscle and evident concentration. The concentration and power merely improved as it aired out—unlike a lot of 2016s (which year Niepoort did not declare). Tasting it after several days open showed that it shut down and closed up in terms of expressiveness, but it definitively proved that it's an old-school, long-haul wine. Dry, stern and long on the finish, this is brilliant. It is hard to think of any basis on which this is not perfection just now—Niepoort says it is the best he's ever made. It's certainly the best I've seen from him, and it is a leading candidate for "Wine of the Vintage," although certainly not the only one. Finally, this is going to require patience. Nothing about it says "drink me now." It should age brilliantly. If you lack a cellar and patience, look away.

The 2015 Vintage Port is a field blend from old vines (80 to 100 years old). It comes in with 104 grams per liter of residual sugar. This is another gorgeous Vintage Port from Niepoort this issue, elegant, but very powerful and focused. I may have a minor preference for the Bioma this issue, but reasonable minds might differ and this is very fine. The tightly wound precision and serious backbone make this a 2015 with plenty of room to grow in the cellar, but that's not all. It has fine intensity of flavor and freshness to go with the big tannins here, making this a very serious Port on all fronts. It is impressive overall. It was a tank sample when seen, but it was the final blend and due to be bottled in two weeks when tasted. It should be in the marketplace by the time this article appears.

The glass containing the Niepoort Vintage is almost overflowing with fruity aromas – damson, cassis, tobacco and cigar box all beautifully defined. With aeration there is a very appealing sense of Bordeaux-like austerity that comes forth. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, a slight savoriness infusing the tertiary black fruit, and superb structure on the reserved, quite aristocratic finish, which offers a kick of spice on the aftertaste. Wonderful. Tasted May 2013. Importer: Martine’s Wines, Novato, CA; tel. (415) 883-0400