2019 Quinta das Bágeiras Garrafeira

Community Tasting Notes (1) Avg Score: 93 points

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  8/22/2023 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  Baga sourced exclusively from very old vines (up to 90 years and even older) with about 5% other interplanted varieties. The bunches are only crushed but not destemmed and fermented in lagares for 5-8 days. After the main fermentation is over, the pomace is pressed in an old basket press and the wine is moved to old oak toneis and aged for 18 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol. Annual production about 7000 bottles.
  
  Dark, moderately translucent black cherry color. The nuanced nose feels savory with dark-toned aromas of dark forest fruits, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of tobacco, light blueberry tones, a woody hint of old oak and a touch of brambly black raspberry. The wine feels dry, firm and sinewy on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of sour cherries and tart lingonberries, some inky tones, a little bit of crunchy crowberry, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of tobacco and a ferrous touch of blood. The wine is very structure-driven with its high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is long, lively and pretty tannic with a crunchy aftertaste of tart lingonberries and sour cherry bitterness, some darker-toned notes of fresh bilberries, a little bit of tobacco, light gravelly mineral notes, a hint of blood and a touch of ripe cranberry.
  
  A very impressive, savory and tightly-knit Bairrada red that is full of intense old-vine fruit, yet the wine isn't a huge and extracted blockbuster wine, but instead made in a nuanced, slightly low-key style. The overall feel is that of a wine opened way too young - not unlike an old-school Bordeaux or Barbaresco opened right after release. You can taste that there is a very impressive wine lurking underneath, but most of it is still locked out beneath that still very firm, tightly-wound structure. At the moment this is a rather tough - but not austere or aggressive - wine that screams for additional age. Terrific stuff with tons of upside - expect the score to go up as the wine ages. Good value at 30€. Highly recommended.

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