Charme
⏳ wine.drinking_window
Typically best enjoyed 5 to 15 years from the vintage release, though exceptional vintages can evolve beautifully for up to 20 years.
🍽️ wine.food_pairings
Roasted duck breast, creamy mushroom risotto, seared squab
✨ wine.spec_sheet
Dirk Niepoort’s Charme is a legendary Douro red born from a daring vision: to craft a wine of Burgundian elegance, delicacy, and complexity from the rugged, sun-baked slopes of the Cima Corgo. First released in 2002, Charme is sourced from ancient, field-blend vineyards (predominantly Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca) over 70 years old, clinging to steep schist soils in the Vale de Mendiz. Defying traditional Douro power, the winemaking process is incredibly hands-on and delicate. The grapes are foot-trodden with 100% stems in traditional granite lagares, followed by a very brief maceration before being transferred directly to French oak casks to complete fermentation. This meticulous technique limits extraction, yielding a wine of pale ruby color, silky tannins, and an ethereal aromatic profile of wild berries, tea leaves, and wet stone. It stands as a poetic testament to the Douro's capacity for supreme finesse.
🍾 wine.about_producer
Founded in 1842 by Franciscus Marius van der Niepoort, Niepoort is an independent, family-owned Port and wine producer headquartered in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. Under the visionary leadership of fifth-generation winemaker Dirk Niepoort, the house has seamlessly bridged its legendary Port heritage with groundbreaking dry still wines from the Douro, Bairrada, and Dão regions. Renowned for maintaining traditional methods such as foot-treading in granite lagares and aging in historic pipes, Niepoort produces highly acclaimed Colheita and Vintage Ports alongside iconic, elegant still wines like Redoma, Batuta, and Charme.