Niepoort “Lagar de Baixo”

Bairrada, Portugal |  2022

Bairrada may not always the first region that comes to mind when we talk about Portuguese wine, but trust me, it should be. Tucked away on calcareous clay soils in the heart of the region sits Quinta de Baixo, a 25-hectare estate that’s been making some of the most exciting wines in Portugal since the famous vintner Dirk Niepoort joined forces with local winemaker Sérgio Silva in 2012. If the name Niepoort sounds familiar, it’s because it is one of the oldest and most famous names affiliated with Port wines in the world. No biggie.

Dirk is bringing a breath of fresh air to the region and has long been fascinated by Bairrada and its native grapes. When he came on board the estate took a massive leap forward. One of the first big changes was converting everything to Biodynamic farming which is a bold move that turned out to be a game changer. With guidance from Andrew Lorand (a true pioneer in biodynamics) the team spent years learning how to work in rhythm with the land.

The focus here is on Bairrada’s native grapes: Baga for reds, Bical and Maria Gomes for whites. And even though Baga is classically considered a big, rustic grape along the lines of a young Nebbiolo, Niepoort’s deft hand at winemaking brings the grape to another level. By fermenting with whole clusters and stems, these wines lean into elegance and finesse. They’re light on their feet, full of depth, and never weighed down by too much extraction or alcohol. Think of this wine being closer to a refined red Burgundy or a Cru Beaujolais with a hit of tannin. The extended time in bottle has allowed the bolder structure to soften giving way to lush fruits and fantastic minerality.

This 2021 cuvée was all hand-harvested and fermented the old-fashioned way spending four weeks in open lagares with lots of foot-treading and plenty of patience spending 20 months in bottle before release. It was bottled unfiltered allowing it to keep every ounce of its character intact. Pair this beauty with roasted salmon and green beans, or eggplant parmesan.