Niepoort releases 1863 vintage Port in Lalique

Port house Niepoort has partnered with crystal maker Lalique to create a limited number of special decanters to hold an 1863 vintage Port, each one engraved with a name of one of the five van der Niepoort generations and a few of which are to be sold in Hong Kong this winter.

The 1863 Niepoort in Lalique decanter to be auctioned in Hong Kong this November

Made by Francisco Marius van der Niepoort in 1863, the company claims the wine is, “possibly the oldest fine wine in the world”, currently available.

The first of the five generation decanters is expected to be auctioned in Hong Kong on 3 November. Estimates of each lot have not yet been revealed.

Each of the decanters is signed, numbered and filled with the 155-year-old vintage Port, from an original Niepoort demijohn decanter, filled in 1905 with an 1863 vintage in the Niepoort cellar in Porto, according to the company.

Founded in 1842 by Francisco Marius Niepoort, today the Port house is run by fifth generation member Dirk van der Niepoort. The design of the decanter is based on the original 11-litre demijohn from 1905 and was created using one of the oldest glass production methods called ‘cire perdue‘ or ‘lost wax’. The decanter to be auctioned is also presented in a bespoke Macassar ebony wood cabinet with Lalique grape pattern crystal inlays.

“We only have one demijohn from 1905, which contains one of our first wines, the 1863. It is an incredibly rare Port, the result of years of dedication and craftsmanship. A big wine, but very refined, not too sweet but highly concentrated – it is the oldest Port we have ever bottled, and we wanted to do something very special with it,” says Dirk van der Niepoort. 

“The collaboration with Lalique is a truly momentous occasion to commemorate our remarkable journey over five generations. Lalique mirrors our own values and commitment to creating only the exceptional and it provides connoisseurs and collectors with an opportunity to acknowledge the distinguished history of the two houses,” he continued. 

Silvio Denz, chairman and CEO of Lalique, added: “We have created a highly collectable work of art, which marries the two houses and is deserving of one of the greatest wines in the world. Masters in their respective fields, Lalique and Niepoort are joined by mutual respect and an unwavering commitment to craft, artistry and beauty and going beyond the ordinary. Our master craftsmen put all of their savoir-faire and passion into producing each piece.”

Lalique has previously partnered with The Macallan on multiple occasions and the The Macallan ‘M’ Imperiale in a six-litre crystal decanter was sold for US$628,000 in 2014. It held the world record for most expensive whisky ever sold at auction until Bonhams offered the1926 Macallan with Valerio Adami label that fetched over US$1.1 million.

Although the 1863 from Niepoort is certainly the oldest vintage Port to have been offered in recent years, it is not the oldest Port of any type to have been offered before and certainly not the first 19th century fortified wine made into a special bottling.

To begin with, Taylor’s has released two editions of ‘Scion’, an extremely old tawny Port, starting with an 1855 and following up with an 1863, while Graham’s released an 1882 tawny Port it called ‘Ne Oublie’ in 2014.

As for other old wines doing the rounds in the fine wine world, it should be remembered that there are still 18th century Madeiras that occasionally are offered at auction.

The decanter will be auctioned by Acker Merrall & Condit.