Navazos Niepoort 2014

"After the phenomenal 2012 and having skipped the 2013 vintage arrives the 2014 Navazos-Niepoort the joint-venture white, unfortified and flor-aged Palomino between Equipo Navazos and Niepoort from Douro/Porto. Produced with Palomino grapes from the Macharnudo vineyard in Jerez, it ferments in bota (the 500- to 600-liter Jerez barrels), and is matured for some nine months with a veil of flor and the fine lees that give the wine its character. The palate is austere, vertical and mineral, with a notable absence of fruit and a strong chalky component. These wines usually put on weight in bottle, so drink young if you prefer something lighter and fresher; or, hold it for a few years and the wine will be more profound and expressive and reminiscent of the chalky soils. It's hard to reach the quality of 2012, and after a disastrous 2013, 2014 and 2015 can be quite similar. It's still quite young, and if the nose can be more neutral, the palate is extremely tasty, and with time (I tasted the 2011 next to this), the soil effect gets stronger and the effect of the flor is diminished. This was the first of this style of wine that is now followed by the likes of Alba, Ramiro Ibañez, Luis Pérez or even their own Florpower. It is still the benchmark".