(Port) Wine of the month July 2018: Niepoort Charme 2008

This is by far the best Charme that Dirk has ever made. A cooler climate does favor these burgundy style wines much more than the "9 months of hell" that usually determine the climate in the Douro valley: Transparent dark-red colour with a deep core. The bouquet reveals leather, licorice, pepper and raspberry, complex and intense. A somewhat creamy palate with finesse and elegance, but also long and precise: white pepper, cherry and hints of vanilla. Long, balanced aftertaste. Now, after 10 years and two hours decanting perfect. Not as elegant as the great Pinots of the world, since it is no Pinot, but it is as close as you can get with this terroir. 18/20