<p class="wysiwyg-text-align-center"><b>2019 Niepoort Batuta and Redoma</b></p><b>

</b><p>BY NEAL MARTIN |&nbsp;MARCH 13, 2023</p><p>I am a big fan of
Dirk Niepoort’s fortified and non-fortified wines. Earlier this year, I tasted
his latest releases. Two of them will offer pleasure in the near term but are
also worthy of cellaring.</p><p><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1678383590612-niepoort+batuta.jpg"></p><p>The <b>2019 Batuta</b>,
from 70 to 100-year-old Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Rufete, Malvazia Preta and
other varieties, is grown on schist soils close to Quinta de Nápoles, and aged
for 20 months in French barriques. It has a very perfumed and quite ethereal
nose; if tasted blind, you might well mistake it for a fine Volnay. It offers
impressive definition, seamlessly integrated oak with a touch of Asian spices
mixed with pencil shavings that develop with time. The palate&nbsp;is
medium-bodied, almost understated, fresh and pure. This is a fine-boned wine,
very nuanced, with a gentle build towards the finish. At 12.5% alcohol, this
doesn't go to your head. It's just a supremely well-crafted Douro that is a joy
from start to finish. 7,800 bottles produced. <b>94</b>/Drink 2024-2045.<br></p><p><img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1678383618696-niepoort+redoma.jpg"></p><p>The <b>2019 Redoma</b>
comes from 70-year-old vines overlooking the Douro River, a blend of Tinta
Amarela, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão aged for
22 months in used wooden barrels. This is elegant on the nose, more floral than
the Batuta. Morello cherries commingling with fireside hearth, camphor and
light gravelly scents remind me of Pessac-Léognan. The palate is slightly more
structured than expected, clean and delineated, focused with a dash of allspice
and sage towards the finish that lingers tenderly in the mouth. The 2019 is
deceptively approachable, yet it has enough substance to age well for over two decades.
23,000 bottles produced.&nbsp;<b>92</b>/Drink 2024-2043.<br></p><p></p><div><div></div></div><p></p><div><div><p><i>© 2023, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.</i></p></div></div>

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