COLHEITA 1999
Colheita Ports are Tawny Ports from a single vintage, aged in wood for at least seven years before being bottled. The Colheita Port is wonderful on its own at the end of a meal or on a cold winter afternoon in front of an open fireplace.
VINIFICATION
The agricultural year preceding the 1999 harvest was marked by very low winter rainfall and a very dry, hot summer. By early September the grapes were clearly suffering from the lack of rain during the year, luckily the best vineyards were already harvested when torrential rain fell in the Douro in the latter part of September.
As with all Colheita´s the wine really made itself with a long period of ageing in small old oak casks (550 L) under the watchful eye of the Niepoort master blender José Nogueira in the cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia.
TASTING NOTES
Brick red appearance with tinges of brick red and brown on the rim; aroma of mellow old wood with a touch of dried apricots and subdued toffee. The Colheita 1999 shows its age on the front palate but follows through with great freshness and acidity, with a well defined/persistent structure, which leads through to a lengthy spirity finish.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
PRODUCER
Niepoort (Vinhos) S.A.
REGION
Douro
SOIL TYPE
Schist
VINEYARDS
Vale do Pinhão and Ferrão
AVERAGE VINE AGE
Over 60 years
GRAPE VARIETIES
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Francisca, Tinta Amarela, Sousão, Tinta Roriz and others
VINES PER HA
4000 - 6000
HARVEST PERIOD
September/October
HARVEST METHOD
Hand picked
FERMENTATION
Lagares/Foot Treading
AGEING
Small old oak casks
RESIDUAL SUGAR
119.1
ALCOHOL
20.5
BAUMÉ
4.2
PH
3.54
TOTAL ACIDITY
4.62
FOOD SUGGESTIONS
Sweet suggestions: Dry fruits, dry nuts, almonds, raisins, peaches, apricots, etc. Desserts based on eggs, pies with dry fruits, coffee, vanilla. Slightly chilled it can also be used as aperitif.
