Tasting Niepoort's 'Voyeur' 2018 Tinto
I am half way through my Wine & Spirits Education level 3 course and whilst I am enjoying it immensely, the intensity is ratcheting up. I am completely immersed in wine making techniques, soil types and grape varieties and have found myself dreaming of wine each night (not drinking, frustratingly). This week's dreams have included lecturing my husband that, no, you cannot make champagne from using a soda stream and a bottle of chardonnay and; (this one seems to be re-occurring) endlessly walking up and down aisles filled with bottles of rare, beautiful wine trying to pair obscure ingredients with even more obscure grape varieties, and not able to make a decision. Reminiscent of every one of my experiences at Blockbuster videos.
I had therefore, been particularly looking forward to trying something unusual with some fresh, simple ingredients and turn my albeit pleasant dreams into something tangible that I could taste (without the use of a soda stream). This newly arrived Portuguese 'Voyeur Tinto' from wine producer Niepoort (famous for its port production as well as natural wines) was intriguing and seemed to tick the boxes. I was hoping that this first release vintage, following years of experimentation in the winery, and the complex blend of red and white grapes would pair perfectly with the fresh mackerel and shelled prawns I'd just purchased from the fish mongers.
I placed the Voyeur in the fridge to lightly chill whilst I tried to persuade (cagoule/bully) my husband to light the BBQ in the -5 degree temperatures outside, but weirdly he didn't seem that enamoured. Instead, he suggested an alternative of filleting the mackerel, lightly dusting with some seasoned flour and paprika and to shallow fry them. I was sold.
Whilst Mr R de-boned and prepared the very shiny mackerel, I prepped potatoes, prawns and token green salad. Potato wedges were placed in a roasting tray and covered with (some would say too) generous glugs of olive oil, hot chicken stock, lemon juice and oregano and left to cook in the oven until all the juices had soaked in.
After about half an hour I took the Voyeur out the fridge and opened the beautiful orange wax cork and poured. One of the things that interested me the most about this wine was that the grapes had been hand harvested from old vines from six different sites throughout the Douro Valley, been individually fermented in traditional clay amphorae and then separately aged in amphorae for eight months before being blended then bottled. Would it work?
In the glass it is light and ruby coloured, aromas of violets and strawberry along with hints of orange zest, earth and a little yeasty; very enticing and couldn't wait to try! In the mouth it was bright and fresh, light in body, more juicy red fruits and slight herbal notes. A lovely long finish. The amphorae runs through the wine yet does not overpower, it provides structure, along with the light tannins and bright acid. I can only imagine all of the skill and patience that must have been needed before 5th generation wine makers Dirk and Verena Niepoort knew that this was the Goldilocks blend.
After being distracted by the wine I was (not so) gently reminded that we hadn't quite finished dinner, I quickly cooked off some onion and diced chorizo and added the prawns and a leftover barley and tomato dish from the day before whilst Mr R fried the mackerel. Lots of lemon wedges to finish and we sat down to enjoy! On the breakfast bar it all looked rather beige but wow: The mackerel was perfect; fresh, simple and with a slight heat. The potatoes were little flavour bombs that had the propensity to be overly rich, had it not been for the zingy lemon. And the chorizo and prawns with some extra chili and paprika packed a smoky punch. The lettuce tasted...of lettuce.
The Voyeur was a perfect accompaniment to the dishes, the use of citrus especially brought out the orange zest and the slight hints of heat and smoked paprika elevated the bright fruits. The fresh acidity a great accompaniment to the chorizo and mackerel. A bright and really interesting wine to go with simple, satisfying food.*
*This wine can also be paired with dishes in other colourways!
