The 2008 BATUTA is a typical Douro blend (Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and others) of grapes and old vine (70+ years) vineyards aged for 21 months in French oak. Most of Batuta comes from Niepoort’s Quinta do Carril’s north facing vineyards, plus some old vines (100 years) fruit sourced near Quinta de Napoles. Let’s say at the outset that this is never the most obvious wine. It usually has a Burgundian mid-palate and it goes for finesse and complexity. Sometimes I think its style melds best with the bigger vintages, as it tames them perfectly. This year seems to work just fine, though. In any event, don’t pour it and take a sip. Pour it, let it air out, sit with it for a couple of hours. It is easy to drink, but persistent and lingering, the finish becoming more interesting as time goes on, and you begin to realize that there is more here than meets the palate at first attack. It is a wine that you grow into. The ’08 version is a creature of its vintage, very bright, very crisp with a juicy, succulent finish. There is a hit of power on the end and the wine develops very nicely. This is not quite as approachable and as easy as the ’07, but I liked it more and more as it aired out and showed its class and at the moment it is my upset pick. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong in time, but I don’t think many will be unhappy with the ‘08. When I started this tasting, I preferred this year’s Redoma. Three hours on, Batuta was equally if not more interesting, just lovely, sensually wrapping around the palate, in perfect balance. There were 15,163 bottles produced. Drink now-2028. 93 points