2007 Niepoort, Charme, Douro
Tasted and drunk non blind from Riedel Sommelier Hermitage glass 3rd of March 2012. Note inspired by SAT from WSET. http://www.wsetglobal.com/documents/dipsat_wine26.04.11.pdf
Appearance and nose:
At opening: Transparent ruby with medium (+) intensity. Raspberry, currant and very delicate leather notes.
After five hours: Toasty coffee-beans. Dark sweet plum and dark chocolate. Still fine raspberry aroma characteristics.
Palate:
Dry and then it evolves in all over your palate! Velvety soft tannins that coats every corner on your palate. Medium (+) flavor intensity, medium acidity. Only medium body, maybe even medium (-). Alcohol is 13,5% and well balanced. Flavour characteristics of strawberry, raspberry and a huge field of flowers. Only a touch of leather and spice from the oak ageing. Black schist and a slight mintyness that keeps the wine very fresh. After five hours open it just evolves even further and brings in coffee and chocolate notes. The taste lingers on for a long time in complete balance, where the fruit intensity balances the mature fruit.
Conclusion:
This is an outstanding wine because of it’s fantastic balance and freshness. Very nice complexity, but never looses focus on the primary fruit. I think this wine will develop over the next 5 – 10 years, but it taste so fantastic right now that I will have problems keeping my hands away.
Rating on my 100 point scale: 95 points.
Very charming Niepoort
Great review, Frederik!
I agree that Charme is a fabulous wine and Dirk Niepoort a fascinating man. It’s worth adding that the 08 Charme is brilliant too.