TN: 2003 Niepoort Batuta Douro

[Jan-Tore Egge]

Batuta 2003 (Niepoort) (oak aged for 18 months)
There seems to be a hint of cedar on the nose Some vanilllin, too. Not overtly fruity, but fresh. Red berries, I would say. This wine took me by surprise after the massive (and impressive!) 1999, tasted three years previously. This is less powerful in comparison, almost Burgundian. Balanced and fresh, with surprisingly soft tannins.

(This wine contains fruit from two different vineyards, one north-facing and one south-facing. Dirk said that while they usually pick grapes from the two vineyards at different times, in 2003 they did it simultaneously to preserve freshness. I liked this, but was more impressed by the next:)

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