Sidónio de Sousa - Baga 2018

Nestled in the heart of Portugal’s coastal Bairrada region, Sidónio de Sousa stands as a legendary pillar of traditional Portuguese winemaking. Renowned among wine lovers for its unwavering dedication to the native Baga grape, the estate has maintained a laser focus on their extensive collection of old vines. Today, Paulo Sousa oversees the estate his grandfather founded in the early 1930s, spanning almost 12 hectares of Baga grown on the region’s clay-limestone soils. The winemaking is as traditional as it gets: fermentation in lagares — open stone vats — and aging for 12 months in 100-year old neutral, large-format Portuguese oak barrels (tonéis). The resulting red wines are fabulously structured, possessing extraordinary aging potential, often requiring years of bottle age to fully soften and reveal their intricate layers of complexity.

The 2018 Sidonio de Sousa Bairrada is made from 100% Baga. In the glass, the wine shows a deep garnet color with ruby highlights and a subtle shade of tawny at the rim. On the nose, aromas of wild blackberries, currants and sour cherries are layered with complex undertones of fresh earth and dried herbs. With time in the glass, notes of black tea, leather, and tobacco reveal themselves. On the palate, the wine shows vibrant acidity that balances beautifully with the concentrated flavors of cranberry, plum and a savory undertone. Firm, fine grained tannins frame the wine as it flows into an energetic and powerful finish. This is first-class wine, a reference point for a varietal, region and style. Enjoy with rich food dishes like suckling pig, duck breast with plum sauce or braised lamb shanks.