Batuta Tinto 2021

The grapes used for this wine are sourced from Quinta do Carril, from a North-facing vineyard whose vines are more than 70 years old, and also an approximately 100-year-old vineyard near Quinta de Nápoles. The Batuta is the result of a very gentle winemaking, with a longer skin contact period but gentle extraction. All the details were carefully considered in order to produce a complex and elegant fine wine. It has the intense concentration of the old vines of the Douro, but it is at the same time fresh and delicate.

Grape Varieties: Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Rufete, Malvazia Preta and others. Average Vine Age 70 and over 100 years old.

Soil: Schist

Tasting Notes: The Batuta, next to the Robustus, is probably the most structured of our wines, while it also upholds the Niepoort signature qualities of subtlety, elegance and freshness. Its deep colour reveals purple glints when swirled in the glass. On the nose, the typical aroma of graphite harmonises with floral notes on a base of fruits of the forest (blackberries and blackcurrant) which mingles seamlessly with some hints of oak. The palate is youthful, linear and structured, with the ever-present freshness and elegance that represent Niepoort’s style. The finish is long and lingers on the palate with a piquant character.

Vinification: After the fruit was meticulously sorted in the vineyard as well as in the cellar, fermentation took place in conical stainless steel tanks, with a skin contact period of approximately 80 days. The wine aged for 20 months in French barrels (only 50% new wood), where it also completed its malolactic fermentation.

Ageing: 20 months in French barriques (50% new wood).

Gastronomy: The Batuta is a very flexible food wine and pairs well with meat and fish such as monkfish, squid and grilled octopus.

Winemaker: Dirk Niepoort