Quinta das Bágeiras Vinho Tinto '20

Quinta das Bágeiras is one of Portugal’s most important quality producers. Bágeiras is located in the Bairrada region, an Atlantic-influenced region, just 15 kilometers from the coast. While the family was a longtime grower in the region, it wasn’t until 1989, when Mário Sérgio Alves Nuno decided to stop selling the grapes of vineyards belonging to his grandparents, that Bágeiras began creating estate-bottled wines. Quinta das Bágeiras isn't the oldest winery in Bairrada, but it is focused on tradition, and the wines do express the region and the identity of the vineyards as well as the people making the wines. Production of the wines is accomplished through traditional methods, but with consideration for developments in viticulture and oenology. The grapes are handpicked, and the red wines are produced in lagares, without added yeasts.

The classic red grape variety of Bairrada is Baga, and it can produce some of the most complex and age-worthy wines of Portugal. It is a late-ripening grape variety, known for being rather finicky and in need of careful farming, and it is often compared with Nebbiolo from Piedmont because of similarities in their tannins and acidity. The 2020 Bágeiras Tinto is a blend 60% Baga and 40% Touriga Nacional, from vines planted in limestone-chalky soil. The wine is fermented in small open tanks, no destemming, and aged in old wood vats. Bottled without fining or filtration.

Notes of black cherry, tobacco leaf, dried shiitake, and spice on the nose. The palate is both fresh and slightly tannic, with lingering notes of fruit and earth. Decant this wine, or drink the bottle over a couple days. It is a terrific wine to drink now, but it will age well in bottle for years to come.