Vintage 2017

[vonBuelo]

Hello,

I am new at this forum and this is my first post.

The first son of my best friend was born in 2017 and I would like to buy a bottle of this vintage port for him. Does someone have some informations about the vintage 2017 quality atm?

Thanks in advance!

Mathias

[Glenn E.]

The Ports have just been declared and so are not yet available for purchase. That said, many people here are tried them and can probably provide you with advice. From what I have heard, 2017 is an exceptional vintage and the Ports produced will be very high quality. My guess based on current reviews is that it will ultimately be considered a classic vintage, which is the best rating a vintage can get.

Anything from Symington Family Estates (Graham, Dow, Warre, Cockburn, et al) or The Fladgate Partnership (Taylor, Fonseca, Croft, et al) should be a safe choice. But there will be many others that are as good or better - those names should just be safe choices in any excellent or classic vintage.

[uncle tom]

All the samples I've tried of '17 so far have been really promising. Whilst Niepoort was generally reckoned to be the best of those offered at the BFT a couple of weeks ago, the smaller players were also showing very well.

2017 is going to be a vintage to lay down for the long haul - save a case for your grandchildren as well as your children..

[vonBuelo]

Thanks Glenn and Tom so far for your answers.

Does Niepoort realy belongs to the group of top Port producers? I read a couble of decanter issues in the past a normally Niepoort does not belong to there group of top producers. And also Glenn did not add Niepoort in his answer of good producers. But my wine retailer in Germany has a good relation to Niepoort. He will get some Vintage 2017 samples for a tasting within the next weeks with the opportunity to order die Vintage 2017 of Niepoort.

Thanks!
Mathias

[uncle tom]

Does Niepoort really belongs to the group of top Port producers?

In a word - yes.

They went through a rough patch during the 90's, but since Dirk Niepoort took over, both the ports and table wines have been superb.

[Glenn E.]

Thanks Glenn and Tom so far for your answers.

Does Niepoort realy belongs to the group of top Port producers? I read a couble of decanter issues in the past a normally Niepoort does not belong to there group of top producers. And also Glenn did not add Niepoort in his answer of good producers. But my wine retailer in Germany has a good relation to Niepoort. He will get some Vintage 2017 samples for a tasting within the next weeks with the opportunity to order die Vintage 2017 of Niepoort.

Tom is correct - Niepoort definitely belongs on the list of top Port producers.

My list was of the top names that can be relied on to produce a good Vintage Port in just about any quality year. But as I also said there are many others that are as good or better, and Niepoort is one of them. It can often be difficult to find Niepoort, though, because they are a smaller producer. The others that I named should be easy to find by just about anyone no matter where they live.

[Andy Velebil]

Just a nit-picking thing. Niepoort is not a small producer. They make and sell a ton of bottles every year, all combined. They are difficult to find in the USA because of his importer, Martine's Wines, who doesn't do a great job marketing them, in my opinion.

[Glenn E.]

Well, they're smaller than either TFP or SFE which is what I was referring to.