2011 Redoma Branco Reserva

The 2011 Reserva Branco Redoma is an old vines (80 years) blend of common Douro whites oak fermented and then aged in French barriques for 10 months. This vintage, the winery says, produced an early harvest with ample malic acid. It is, in any event, a Niepoort – elegantly constructed, with a crisp finish and beautiful integration of its parts. There is no “wow” here. Don’t expect to be blown away by any one component. That’s not what this – or Niepoort – is about. Yet, as you sit with this understated beauty, you will realize that it is quite fine and potentially special, a wine that has a certain Burgundian feel. It is a beautifully balanced, subtle wine that holds its own all the time in the glass, persistent and irresistible, with reasonable depth. The oak is admirably handled and well-integrated. While it is certainly noticeable in this wine’s youth, the freshness and acidity balance it out easily. I am willing to bet that this holds well, too, and can still improve in the cellar, but it is delicious and quite drinkable now as well. Still, it is always useful to play with them for awhile. Considering how laid back it was, what would happen later? Would it disappoint? Some 11 hours after opening, it was still lovely, a bit more subtle perhaps, but impeccably balanced and completely harmonious, a wine that was hard to stop drinking. Don’t drink them all up right away, as hard as that may be to avoid. This has nary a hair out of place. I just have to lean up a little on it. Drink now-2021. Importer: Martine’s Wines, Inc., Novato, CA.; tel. (415) 883-0400; except in New York/New Jersey: Eric Solomon, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565.