Niepoort Batuta 2018

The 2016 Batuta is a field blend from old vines aged for 20 months in 15% new French barriques. It comes in at just 13% alcohol. Not quite bottled when seen but the final blend and out of cask, this seems more intense than the typical young Batuta. Of course, it's very elegant, fresh and lively—that's the norm (this is always a bottling that can be a little understated, sometimes to a fault). In terms of concentration, it still is well on the elegant side, but in terms of power there may be a little more than normal this year. Maybe it's just young and in an odd place. I suspect it will still be approachable young, as most of Niepoort's wines are—which doesn't mean they are ready or that they won't gracefully age. It looks like a fine vintage.

Batuta, named after the baton used by an orchestral conductor to blend various musical instruments together, has splendid structure and fruit. It is richly textured with dense tannins as well as layers of black fruits. It holds fruit from three north-facing vineyards on the south bank of the Douro, giving the wine elegance and potential. Drink from 2020. (RV) (4/2018)