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dirk niepoort is a world-renowned port producer with a 62-hectare estate in the sumptuous douro region. for several decades now, he has been making dry wines of surprising finesse for the region. we invite you to discover them today. if their name doesn't necessarily sound portuguese, don't be mistaken, niepoort is not a newcomer to the region. arriving from holland in 1842, fransiscus marius niepoort decided to start trading in port wine and, over time, his business continued to prosper without him having to buy any vineyards. it was not until more than a century later that his great-great-grandson dirk niepoort bought the first vineyards in the douro valley. the house acquired the quintas of nápoles and do carril, located near cima corgo, one of the highlights of the port wine industry. a major event for the family. dirk niepoort is the head of an institution that produces excellent port wine, but he has no experience in making dry wine. he immediately decided to adopt a vineyard culture that was very respectful of biodiversity and even converted some of his plots to biodynamic farming. dirk's philosophy? less is more". in his wines you will find no commercial yeast or added nutrients, only a fair amount of sulphur before bottling. with temperatures that can peak in the summer, he also struggles to keep alcohol levels moderate. this, combined with light extraction, results in wines of astonishing delicacy that, on a blind taste test, we find hard to attribute to portugal...! the 2018 batuta is a field blend from old vines (like touriga franca, tinta roriz, rufete, malvazia preta) aged for 22 months in 50% new french oak. it comes in at just 12.6% alcohol. often seeming to lack enough flesh and concentration for a wine at this price level—and that tends to be deliberate as the theme of the wine—batuta often compensates with elegance, aromatics and expressive fruit. still, right now, this would be my least favorite of the last few vintages, granting that they are not all here together. the wine has come together as a tight, textured and fresh wine, without much exuberance in its fruit profile. the fruit is understated and a little dull, while the wine finishes dry and with some tannic pop. the tannins are still relatively ripe, so you can drink this now. however, this will certainly benefit from a couple of years more in the cellar. the structure here is very good, the fruit profile a little less so. it will certainly be a perfect food wine, but whether it turns into anything to talk about is a question as to which i have some doubt. let's be conservative and start here. there were 8,600 bottles produced from old vines (70+ years).
Country
Portugal
Zone
Douro
Appelation
Douro
Producer
Niepoort
Colour
Red wine
Grape variety
Tinta amarela, touriga, rufete, tinta roriz
Volume
75 cl
Degree
12,5
Agriculture
Organic agriculture
Parker
91+
Vinous
NR
Vintage
2018
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