Niepoort Vertente Tinto 2016

2016 gave us a cold and rainy Spring, which had an inevitable impact on the growth and development cycle of the vines. An extremely dry Summer ensued, with considerable fluctuations between day and night temperatures. The Vertente 2016 offers a beautiful, concentrated ruby colour and a youthful, rich and complex nose full of black pepper aromas and red fruits of the forest notes, with nuances of plums and cherries too. The wood is subtle, providing some hints of smokiness. One can also detect mineral notes of wet stone. The palate is tightly structured and profound, with a good backbone, yet showing elegance and finesse, with well-integrated tannins and balanced acidity which give it a long and deeply enjoyable finish. This Vertente should age very well in bottle.