2024 Filipa Pato, Baga “Post Quer..s” Bairrada, Portugal.
The gorgeous and silky elegant “Post Quercus” by Filia Pato is mesmerizing in the glass with a deep garnet color, heady perfumed aromatics and a supple medium bodied palate, all highlighting the terroir and varietal character on this 100% Baga, amphora raised, Portuguese red. Pato who really put the Baga grape on the world wide map, uses all biodynamically farmed vines, fermented and raised this Post Quercus in clay Amphora with a gentle maceration and 10 months of maturation produce this distinctive wine. The palate is rounded with finesse, but with beautiful transparency, showing off crushed red berries, tangy plum, strawberry and blood orange fruits which are backed up nicely by germanium florals, delicate spiciness, saline notes, framboise, minty herbs and a subtle earthy element, with a heavenly lengthy dry finish. The tannins are ripe and have folded in with a velvety grip and the lifting acidity is very much like an excellent Burgundy in feel, making for a very rewarding and finely structured wine. I, again, was highly impressed by these latest US offerings of Pato’s Baga bottlings and this was extremely rewarding and stylish, I highly recommend it!
One of my favorite producers in Portugal, Filipa Pato, 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 set of Baga wines, which are her signature offerings, really shine, and this one, shown to me by friend and Sommelier Lee Lighfoot of La Bicyclette in Carmel by the Sea and who also reps these wines locally, gave a stunning performance even after being open more than 24 hours. The entry level Baga, Dinamico, is a great way to start exploring Pato’s wines, it is an un-oaked fresh version that is easy and pure, especially good with a slight chill, and for the more serious of Baga wines look for this Post Quercus and the Nossa Calcario, which is the most age worthy and firmly structured of the bunch. Oh yeah, don’t forget the Pato sparkling version of Baga either, it is absolutely delightful too!
($42 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive