The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Niepoort Charme Douro DOC 2020
Red WineIssue 124

Niepoort Charme Douro DOC 2020

Niepoort

$65Douro Valley, Portugal
Dirk Niepoort has spent decades proving the Douro can produce world-class table wine, not just port. Charme is his flagship argument — a blend of old-vine indigenous grapes that captures the Douro's schist-and-altitude terroir with precision. This 2020 is taut, layered, and built for years of evolution.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Dark cherry and violet lead, with crushed slate minerality and a subtle herbal quality. Beneath the fruit sits a thread of cedar and graphite, with a faint floral lift that adds elegance.

Palate

Medium to full-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Blackcurrant and cherry are interwoven with cedar and a stony mineral quality that speaks directly to the Douro's schist terraces. There's a savory undertone — almost gamey — that adds complexity without heaviness.

Finish

Long and structured, with cherry, cedar, and a violet-scented minerality that lingers beautifully.

Specifications
Varietal
Touriga Nacional
Blend
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, field blend old vines
Vineyards
Old-vine terraced vineyards in Cima Corgo and Douro Superior on schist soils
Alcohol
13.5%
Organic / Biodynamic
No
Serve & Pair

Food Pairing

The rich, slow-cooked beef mirrors the wine's depth and tannin structure, while the olive tapenade's savory brininess plays against the Douro's mineral backbone. Serve with roasted root vegetables.

The Story

Crafted by fifth-generation winemaker Dirk Niepoort from old-vine Touriga Nacional and field blends grown on steep schist terraces in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior sub-regions of northern Portugal.

Train These Aromas
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