We all do, right?
Four of us (moi, two winemakers and the importer) got together for a Baga tasting. I've written about Baga before. It's THE red grape in the Bairrada region in Portugal. Its big advocate is Luis Pato, a bigger than life figure who makes it his business to be bigger than life. Basing the tasting around his wines was unavoidable. I've ran into few other Bagas - and, believe me, I looked damn hard on my trip two years ago. His daughter, Filipa, makes her own version, Niepoort make a couple of wines from it in Bairrada and also blend it in their Dao Conciso. But that's it. Having tasted all of the above, it was time to take the next step and dedicate an evening to Baga.
The evening justified the hype, the international reviews and my own humble posts. Baga is a grape with bags of potential and Luis Pato and his team are skilled and sensitive enough to bring that potential to full bloom. Same for Alvaro Castro, whose version from the Dao matches Pato, in quality, albeit in a different style.
The aperitif was a sparkling wine made from, well, Baga.
Luis Pato, Bairrada, Vinho Espumante Bruto, Baga, n.v.
The back label recommends the wine for the "young at heart". I'd way "wild at heart" would be a more accurate copy. This is really not the most standard sparkler you're lucky to run into. The color is deeper than any rose Champagne I've ever drunk. The nose flirts enthusiastically with oxidation, offering an basketful of baked apples. The palate is fresher and more savory than the nose would have you expect, laden with minerals. The contrast is at first disorienting, but the wine becomes more balanced in time. Very good. It's not carried to Israel yet, but I'd definitely buy it.
Quinta de Pellada, Dao, Baga, 2017
One technical note. Alvaro Castro has two wineries, Quinta de Pellada and Quinta de Saes. I always label the posts under Alvaro Castro. Anyway, the nose has an effect similar to the garrigue you find in some southern French reds, a complex combination of dust and sage that invites introspection. It's elegant with a punch, the texture velvety even in youth, making for apt comparisons with Burgundy.
Pato's Bairrada crus are markedly different than Castro's fine, Pinot-like depiction. They come off as a cross between Bordeaux and Madiran, with a pungency and rustic firmness that reminds me, at least, of Tannat.
Louis Pato, Bairrada, Vinho Pan, 2012
A knockout nose, dominated by iron and graphite. The fruit and acidity adeptly cloak the tannins and the overall effect is quite aristocratic. Both the Pan and the Barrosa are in the prime of the vigorous part of maturity and have years ahead of them.
Louis Pato, Bairrada, Vinho Barrosa, 2011
The tannins are more pronounced here. Again, I find graphite on the nose, along with hints of mint, and the bouquet introduces the Barrosa as a deeper and more complex wine. The palate, like the Pan, is deep and multilayered, but it's a gruffer and more savory wine than the Pan, which has a lusher texture.
Comments