2023 Filipa Pato, Baga “Nossa Calcário” Vinhas Velhas, Bairrada DOC, Portugal.
A remarkable wine, and yet another expression of the Baga grape from Filipa Pato that presents this rare varietal in a more Burgundy like fashion with beautiful elegant layering, subtle earthy tones, a core of red berry fruit, floral aromatics and a nice stony/mineral element. This medium bodied and dark ruby/garnet hued version, Nossa Calcário, like its name suggest comes from vines set on calcarious soils, and shows of silky raspberry, strawberry, currant and cherry fruits, crushed lilacs, minty herbs, chalky detail and delicate wood notes. Again, I must thank my friend and La Bicyclette of Carmel by the Sea Sommelier Lee Lightfoot for presenting a featured selection of the talented natural winemaker Filipa Pato recently, which was eye opening and as long time fan of her wines, reminded me of just how good they are. This all organic Baga was handpicked and hand selected in the vineyards, only a few miles from the ocean, sourced from Pato’s ancient centenary vines, between 100 and 140 years old, in the rocky limestone soils of the Bairrada zone, with tiny yields, adding to the depth ad concentration here. The clusters in the cellar are partially de-stemmed, then fermented in open oak lagares with some gentle pigeage, for extraction and complexity. After fermentation the wine was aged mainly in 500/600L pipas, or puncheon style barrels, along with some in even larger wood casks to promote transparency while allowing the tannins to refine, as seen here.
One of my favorite producers in Portugal, Filipa Pato, the “Terroirista”, along with her husband, Belgian sommelier and restaurateur William Wouters, as I’ve mentioned here before, make what they call vinhos autênticos sem maquilagem, which translates to ‘Authentic Wines Without Makeup.’ and use only ancient native varietals like Baga, the grape in this lovely little red wine wine from her home region of Bairrada. Filipa, who is intensely passionate about her region of the unique varietals here, like this Baga, as well as Bical, Cercial and Maria Gomes, the main local white grapes found in Bairrada. The Pato offerings highlight the Atlantic continental climate and region’s nature exceptionally well, they are raw, authentic and stylish wines. Her latest set of Baga wines, available in the States, which are her signature offerings, really are shinning stars of the natural wine world, again highlighting Filipa’s talents and bringing the Bairrada terroir into focus as one of Europe’s great wine regions. The other unique version of Baga, by Pato, the gorgeous and stylish “Post Quercus” by Filia Pato is also a mesmerizing wine in the glass with a deep garnet color, heady perfumed aromatics and a supple medium bodied palate, all highlighting, again, the terroir and varietal character on this 100% Baga, but shows off its amphora raised style, it is definitely a Portuguese red to look for, which already reviewed earlier here at Grapelive.com. As mentioned prior, the entry level Baga, Dinamico, and the Sparkling Baga, are a great ways to start exploring Pato’s wines, which I highly recommend doing sooner v. later.
($45 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive