Winter 2003/2004 was very dry, with only a third of the rainfall recorded compared to the previous winter. The lack of water at the beginning of the vegetative cycle reduced the risk of disease, however, the major concern was that the vines would not have sufficient water reserves in the soil to fully mature the grapes towards the end of the ripening phase. Fortunately, the harvest occurred under perfect weather conditions, from start to finish.

The grapes of the 2004 Colheita stem from low-yielding vineyards in the Cima Corgo region of the Douro Valley. The fruit was foot-stomped in lagares in our Vale de Mendiz cellar. Ageing took place in 550L pipa barrels at Vila Nova de Gaia. At Niepoort, we bottle our Colheita Ports after a minimum maturation period of 10 years, but the 2004 vintage was aged for even longer thanks to the excellent quality of the wine and its ageing potential. The first bottling took place in March 2018.