The 2008 VERTENTE is a typical Douro blend, including grapes like Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Amarela and others aged 18 months in French oak. It is another Niepoort old vines product, with the blend of vineyards and vines ranging from 20-70 years. It is also a typical ’08, fresh and bright, succulent on the finish, with a little bit of a hard edge at the moment. The oak is a bit too prominent, but this promises to be a very successful Vertente when it settles down. Elegant but intense, deliciously fruity but ageworthy, this is usually a pretty good value pick in Niepoort’s lineup, but perhaps more so this year than in most. This year’s version is beautifully structured and should hold very well, although it will be approachable young. Drink now-2020. Mark Squires