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Baga is a red-wine grape originating in the Dão region of Portugal. Though it is still produced there, nowadays most comes from the Bairrada region (which is a Portugese DOC), which lies a bit to the west of the Dão region (see image at left).
Baga is a tricky grape to grow: to get full ripeness and tannic content, it needs to have a long season—but a long season puts the grapes at risk of rot owing to the late-season rainstorms endemic to the coastal area. So, as Jancis Robinson puts it in Wine Grapes, “Baga can therefore make the best of wines and the worst of wines: the best, generally those allowed to reach around 13% alcohol, have aromas of forest fruits when young, but develop depth and complexity of black plums, herbs, olives, smoke and tobacco as the tannins soften in the bottle; the worst are thin, pale, green and astringent, especially if the wines have been fermented on the stalks, as used to be the norm.”
Factoid: Baga is the dominant grape in the famous (or infamous) Mateus Rosé once so immensely popular.
“Making distinctive high-quality red wines with structure and balance from the Baga variety requires great care and attention in the vineyard…viticulturalists are faced with an important decision at harvest time: picking earlier will help avoid rot but carries the risk of overly tannic, acidic wines, while picking later allows the grapes to ripen fully, but carries the daily threat of rot-inducing Autumn rains…Fortunately the variety also has a naturally high acidity level, which means the grapes can be harvested late in the season without the resulting wine seeming flat or baked.”
“Those seeking an excellent Old World corollary to Nebbiolo need look no further than Portugal’s Barraida DOC, home to Baga wines. Not only is Baga a master of complex, acid-driven, long-lived reds, but it just might be Portugal’s most interesting grape…The best Bagas today are vinified as varietal wines, and they can actually be quite off-putting in youth. Like Nebbiolo, Baga can be difficult to love at first, but over time, it is truly endearing. Baga isn’t one of those grapes that fell by the wayside for decades, only to be rediscovered by modern vintners. The name translates to ‘berry’ in Portuguese, and Baga has a long, continuous history in its home region of Bairrada and the nearby Dão—where some speculate that it actually originated…it was nearly impossible to create Baga with both quality and approachability in youth until modern winemaking methods came to the region in the 1980s…Today, Baga is valued for producing aromatic, complex reds with impactful structure, well-suited to long-term aging. Notes of red cherry and berry, springy plum, red flowers, tobacco, coffee, and earth evolve and change over time. All are elongated by sharp acidity, and Baga’s grippy tannins make it an excellent food-pairing wine.”
“If you like medium-bodied Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir or Xinomavro…Baga can be found in a few parts of the country, but is most concentrated in the Beiras area, especially in Bairrada and Dão. The grapes come into their own when ripe, showing wines of deep colour, great structure and ample acidity with powerful tannins and balanced brilliantly to evolve well in the bottle. The aroma starts out with red cherry/berry fruit developing into red/black plum, tobacco and coffee bean flavors finishing with expansive complexity. The grape’s ample acid leads to quality sparkling wine production, and it is often proclaimed as the best in Portugal comes from the region of Bairrada.”
“Baga wines have a deep colour and lean, rich, high acid, tannic structure with clear flavours of black plums, berries tobacco, hints of coffee and smoke.”
“Baga is Portugal’s tough-love grape, a frequent problem child that needs stern discipline before it can shine. Difficult to grow, the red variety can be thin and sharp or dryly astringent (or all of the above) when planted on inhospitable soils and not left patiently to ripen fully into late autumn. When it’s good, though, it can dazzle. Think of French pinot noir crossed with Italy’s nebbiolo in a Cristiano Ronaldo jersey…The best baga-based wines, often but not always blended with other varieties, are redolent of berries and plums, with overtones of tobacco, herbs and dark-roast coffee (particularly when matured for long periods in toasty oak).”
“Baga grapes are thick-skinned and small—the name means ‘berry’—and they make a highly tannic red wine. Young Baga wines have cherry and berry flavors, and [winemaker Luis] Pato compares them to an Italian Nebbiolo or Barolo for their strong tannins. After 10 years, they have more in common with a mature Pinot Noir.”
“Producers crushed grapes with feet and left the stems on during the production process. The region’s fortunes changed for the better in 1991, when Portugal joined the European Union and modernization of Bairrada’s wineries began in earnest. Today you will find both producers that use modern, sometimes even über-modern methods and winemakers dedicated to traditional practices. Happily, when conditions are right, both traditionalists and progressive winemakers can achieve excellent results…”
“Baga wines are similar to other high acid reds like Barbara, Brunello de Montalcino, Xinomavro, and Syrah; however, they differ in that they are much leaner, in that is fruit is well hidden. A well-built Baga can have the structure to stand up to almost anything and can have very pleasant cherry and plum notes, with a smokey finish. If held long enough the wine can develop some very complex flavors including herbal and woody notes. In fact, the winemakers that we spoke to at the tasting generally recommended holding these wines for a good 10 years to let them develop their full complexity.”
“I believe that baga and Bairrada could have been marginalized, almost forgotten, had it not been for the revitalization of the classical styles a couple of decades ago—and now the ‘Baga Friends’ group, seven producers with a real passion for that grape (some of them also the main players behind the revitalization I talked about). Baga is difficult to grow, the climate in Bairrada is challenging, but when all is under control the wines can have a great personality, rich in tannin, acidity, and with a unique aromatic profile—something unique in the wine world.”
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Some Descriptions of Baga Wines
“As a varietal, Baga produces tannic wines with high acidity.”
“Making distinctive high-quality red wines with structure and balance from the Baga variety requires great care and attention in the vineyard…viticulturalists are faced with an important decision at harvest time: picking earlier will help avoid rot but carries the risk of overly tannic, acidic wines, while picking later allows the grapes to ripen fully, but carries the daily threat of rot-inducing Autumn rains…Fortunately the variety also has a naturally high acidity level, which means the grapes can be harvested late in the season without the resulting wine seeming flat or baked.”
“Those seeking an excellent Old World corollary to Nebbiolo need look no further than Portugal’s Barraida DOC, home to Baga wines. Not only is Baga a master of complex, acid-driven, long-lived reds, but it just might be Portugal’s most interesting grape…The best Bagas today are vinified as varietal wines, and they can actually be quite off-putting in youth. Like Nebbiolo, Baga can be difficult to love at first, but over time, it is truly endearing. Baga isn’t one of those grapes that fell by the wayside for decades, only to be rediscovered by modern vintners. The name translates to ‘berry’ in Portuguese, and Baga has a long, continuous history in its home region of Bairrada and the nearby Dão—where some speculate that it actually originated…it was nearly impossible to create Baga with both quality and approachability in youth until modern winemaking methods came to the region in the 1980s…Today, Baga is valued for producing aromatic, complex reds with impactful structure, well-suited to long-term aging. Notes of red cherry and berry, springy plum, red flowers, tobacco, coffee, and earth evolve and change over time. All are elongated by sharp acidity, and Baga’s grippy tannins make it an excellent food-pairing wine.”
“If you like medium-bodied Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir or Xinomavro…Baga can be found in a few parts of the country, but is most concentrated in the Beiras area, especially in Bairrada and Dão. The grapes come into their own when ripe, showing wines of deep colour, great structure and ample acidity with powerful tannins and balanced brilliantly to evolve well in the bottle. The aroma starts out with red cherry/berry fruit developing into red/black plum, tobacco and coffee bean flavors finishing with expansive complexity. The grape’s ample acid leads to quality sparkling wine production, and it is often proclaimed as the best in Portugal comes from the region of Bairrada.”
“Baga wines have a deep colour and lean, rich, high acid, tannic structure with clear flavours of black plums, berries tobacco, hints of coffee and smoke.”
“Baga is Portugal’s tough-love grape, a frequent problem child that needs stern discipline before it can shine. Difficult to grow, the red variety can be thin and sharp or dryly astringent (or all of the above) when planted on inhospitable soils and not left patiently to ripen fully into late autumn. When it’s good, though, it can dazzle. Think of French pinot noir crossed with Italy’s nebbiolo in a Cristiano Ronaldo jersey…The best baga-based wines, often but not always blended with other varieties, are redolent of berries and plums, with overtones of tobacco, herbs and dark-roast coffee (particularly when matured for long periods in toasty oak).”
“Baga grapes are thick-skinned and small—the name means ‘berry’—and they make a highly tannic red wine. Young Baga wines have cherry and berry flavors, and [winemaker Luis] Pato compares them to an Italian Nebbiolo or Barolo for their strong tannins. After 10 years, they have more in common with a mature Pinot Noir.”
“Producers crushed grapes with feet and left the stems on during the production process. The region’s fortunes changed for the better in 1991, when Portugal joined the European Union and modernization of Bairrada’s wineries began in earnest. Today you will find both producers that use modern, sometimes even über-modern methods and winemakers dedicated to traditional practices. Happily, when conditions are right, both traditionalists and progressive winemakers can achieve excellent results…”
“Baga wines are similar to other high acid reds like Barbara, Brunello de Montalcino, Xinomavro, and Syrah; however, they differ in that they are much leaner, in that is fruit is well hidden. A well-built Baga can have the structure to stand up to almost anything and can have very pleasant cherry and plum notes, with a smokey finish. If held long enough the wine can develop some very complex flavors including herbal and woody notes. In fact, the winemakers that we spoke to at the tasting generally recommended holding these wines for a good 10 years to let them develop their full complexity.”
“I believe that baga and Bairrada could have been marginalized, almost forgotten, had it not been for the revitalization of the classical styles a couple of decades ago—and now the ‘Baga Friends’ group, seven producers with a real passion for that grape (some of them also the main players behind the revitalization I talked about). Baga is difficult to grow, the climate in Bairrada is challenging, but when all is under control the wines can have a great personality, rich in tannin, acidity, and with a unique aromatic profile—something unique in the wine world.”