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750ml
Bottle:
$36.00
Aged in small 550L old oak casks in Niepoort’s cellars at Vila Nova de Gaia, this svelte 10-year-old has detail and...
Pre-Arrival
Niepoort Charme Tinto 2019
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
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More Details
Winery
Niepoort
Vintage: 2012
2012 has, so far been a positive year for wineries around the world. While it may be a little too early to speak of the wines being made in the northern hemisphere, European and North American wineries have already begun reporting that their harvesting season has been generally very good, and are predicting to continue with the kind of successes they saw in 2011. However, 2012 has been something of a late year for France, due to unpredictable weather throughout the summer, and the grapes were ripening considerably later than they did in 2011 (which was, admittedly, an exceptionally early year). French wineries are claiming, though, that this could well turn out to be advantageous, as the slow ripening will allow the resulting wines to express more flavour and features of the terroir they are grown in.
The southern hemisphere has seen ideal climatic conditions in most of the key wine producing countries, and Australia and New Zealand particularly had a superb year, in particular with the Bordeaux varietal grapes that grow there and which love the humidity these countries received plenty of. Also enjoying a fantastic year for weather were wineries across Argentina and Chile, with the Mendoza region claiming that 2012 will be one of their best vintages of the past decade. Similar claims are being made across the Chilean wine regions, where Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon had an especially good year. These two grape varietals also produced characterful wines on the coastal regions of South Africa this year.
Region: Porto
The ancient city of Porto, capital of Portugal, has a wine history which stretches back over the millennia, and helped shape the world of wines as we know it today. Sailors and explorers leaving Porto helped introduce grapevines to the New World in the 16th century, and thanks to the vast variety of vines which grow around Porto, they had plenty of varietals to choose from. Indeed, over a hundred grape varietals are permitted by law for use in Porto's famous Port wines, although only five are commonly grown and processed in the impressive and historic Port wineries. The Douro river valley which Porto's finest vineyards are situated in is in fact one of the oldest protected wine regions in the world, and thanks to its mineral rich soils and wonderful climate, is widely regarded as one of the world's most ideal locations for viticulture.
Country: Portugal
Most of us are quick to associate Portugal primarily with the excellent fortified wines which come out of the Porto area, but there is much more to Portuguese viticulture than just this. Perhaps the most popular still wines the country produces are the varieties from the Vinho Verde region, which uses grapes that do not achieve high doses of sugar, meaning the wines are at their best when young and full of natural, springy fruit flavors The wines of the Douro region have undergone many transformations in their flavor and character over the centuries; once regarded as a bitter wine, the exporters experimented with fortifying the wine with brandy. After several centuries, vintners found a balance in the modern age which is at once reminiscent of Port wine, yet with the structure and character closer to other fine Portuguese wines. Thanks to the appellation system of Portugal and the strict laws governing wine production, Portuguese wines continue to maintain their reputation for quality and the distinctive characteristics they carry.