2017 Niepoort "Sempar" Tinto Alentejo

Dirk Niepoort is one of the most dynamic winemakers in Portugal. Born into a Port producing family he has been pushing the boundaries of Portuguese wines for over 30 years. Not content to only make wines from his native Douro, he has worked with producers all over the country exploring the country's diverse landscapes and its depth of indigenous varieties. Sempar comes from one such exploration. Portalegre is a subregion of the Alentejo. Located toward the Northeast corner, it is home to some of the highest vineyards in the region, some of which look towards the nearby Spanish border. This is an old vine (80 years), bush vine, dry farmed, field blend red, some of the varietals might be familiar with Alicante Bouschet, Touriga Nacional, Aragonez, but they do not know all the varietals that are in the vineyard. The grapes are fermented in amphora and then aged for an additional 3 years in amphora. Alentejo has a long history of making wines in Amphora, it was brought to the region by the Romans and the technique has been in use since then. This is a bold, rich, and complex red, with earthy layers of dark red fruits and herbs. The region's elevation and soils (granite and schist) give the wine surprising elegance and balance.