TNR: 2000 Niepoort Passaduoro

[Raj Patil]

Any info? Is this shut down right now? This is my anniversary year and I'm looking to add some mid-term agers.

[Frederick Blais]

I haven't got the 2000. I think its the last one released from Niepoort. Though I've got the 94 and 97 in the last 3 months. It is a very pleasing VP with medium body, sweet with flavours of licorice and ripe plums mainly. I'd buy this VP as a fine medium term bottle. The 94 was at its peak imo and the 97 was almost mature having his tannins tamed.

[Axel Probst]

Though I never had the 2000 Passadouro, I had other years on several occasions and found out, that the Passadouro is a very pleasant Port, but its style is a kind of wine-ish. It always reminds me more of a red table wine than most of the other Ports. The Passadouros are very often early-drinkers and Im pretty convinced, that this will be the case in 2000 as well.

I have tasted many 2000 lately in semi-bottles and they are not a lot of fun right now. If I would want to celebrate with a bottle of 2000 port I would go for the (pretty cheap and) very Vintage-like Noval Unfiltered LBV 2000 which is one of my price-value favourites (ever). If you are a label-drinker and it has to be a vintage port, then it will be a (expensive) dissapointment, as all the 2000 VPs that I have tasted in the last 2 years are asleep right now.

All the best for your anniversary

Axel

[Al B.]

Raj,

I would also add that if you are looking for mid-term agers from 2000 then the Vesuvio is a good option (and also I would support Axel's suggestion of the unfiltered Noval LBV, which ages extremely well).

I'm not sure about the Passadouro, having not tried a lot of their wines, but my experience is that in general the 2000 vintage is shut down and not very enjoyable at the moment. Give them another 2-3 years and they should be coming out of their sullen period.

Alex

[Raj Patil]

Thanks for helping me remember to keep looking for the 2000 vesuvio as there are none in the cellar yet.