A new style of Baga from an old Bairrada producer
Casa de Saima is one of the traditional old producers of the Bairrada region. They are well known amongst Bairrada fans for their full-bodied, old-style Bagas produced in the 80s and 90s that have aged superbly.
This bottle is part of a new line of wines coming from this producer. I first tried their Pinot Noir, with a similar style label to the Baga shown and priced at around €17, and was very disappointed. There is far too much body for a Pinot of any description, and the 2015 which is currently on the market is too young and harsh to be approachable. So, I will be giving this a wide berth for now.
The Baga, however, is an altogether different story. Apolónia currently have the 2013 (€12.99) which, although still young for a Baga, is already drinking well, light to medium bodied with ripe red fruit notes on the nose and no sign of oak (the wine is aged for 18 months in the huge used oak “tonel” barrels, hence the name “Tonel 10”).
In the mouth, the tannins are present but supple with good acidity, freshness and a nice good dry finish.
Overall, this is a great value-for-money Baga, good to drink now and worth laying up for a few years.
By Patrick Stuart
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