The humble and thick-skinned Baga grape, the backbone of Mateus Rosé and the predominant red grape of the Bairrada region, was traditionally a high-yield variety for low quality winemaking.
But in recent years it has been championed as a varietal by some of the Bairrada region’s best producers, most notable amongst them Filipa Pato and her father Luís Pato.
This is Filipa’s main label varietal Baga, a wine of medium body that drinks beautifully when slightly chilled, ideal for the summer.
Aged in steel vats for six months before bottling, it is true expression of the variety, ripe and creamy with ripe red berry fruit on the nose and good acidity, but quite different from the traditional style of Baga reds that tend to be dryer and more tannic.
The 2012 I last tried is ready for drinking now and represents great value for money priced at around €7 in supermarkets.
By PATRICK STUART [email protected]
