Niepoort Açores Branco Reserva DO Pico is a project wine that Dirk has had in mind for years and has now finally managed to implement in 2020. He managed this with the help of the oenologist Paulo Machado and his close friend Tito, from whose volcanic vineyards he sourced the Arinto, Terrantez and Verdelho grapes. In order to protect the vineyards in the north of the island of Pico, in Santa Luiza, from the rough Atlantic, the Lajido de Santa Luzia site is walled at 650 meters above sea level. It is enormously impressive to see the small individual vines between the high walls of volcanic stone. It is not for nothing that the vineyards of Pico have UNESCO World Heritage status. After the hand-picking in August and September 2020, the grapes were pressed as whole bunches. After 12 hours of sedimentation, the must was moved to various steel tanks. Fermentation took place spontaneously in 75% vertical tanks and 25% horizontal tanks. There it also matured on the yeast for 22 months. 

Niepoort's Acores Branco is a fine straw yellow in the glass. The nose is dominated by herbaceous and iodine notes... you might think a cold Atlantic breeze is blowing in your face. A terroir wine that gets a lot of pressure from the volcanic soil and has mouth-watering acidity. 

Arinto dos Açores, Verdelho, Gouveio, Assario Branco, and Terrantez

Portugal, Pico

12.50%