TN: 2001 Niepoort Batuta Douro

[Andy Velebil]

Decanted for 2 hours when we started drinking this and it was finished 7 hours later. The restrained fruit on the nose exhibited a more "old-school" Douro profile with it's mushrooms, tar, and bing cherries. This gradually put on a lot more weight the longer it was opened. Lots of tannins and prominent acidity, dominate a youthful, yet classic Douro profile. I love how this shows the terrior of the Douro with its minerality and finesse with depth. Still very young as was evident by the stages it went through, as it opened up with that "old-school" forest flavors becoming more prominent, yet the fruit also tightened up then again showed itself later. The long finish sought me seeking another glass long after the bottle was finished. While a magnificent wine, this seemed to be in a transitional phase at the moment, and one that will reward further cellaring. I have no doubt the best years are still ahead for this fantastic wine. While many newer wines from the Douro are more modern with their full throttle forward fruit and dominate oak, I love the classic Douro approach this wine has.
94+ Points