Portugal - Dao & Bairrada

Question 1

Where is Dao located. What natural factors affect the general climate?

Answer 1

Inland from Bairrada. S of Vinho Verde and Douro.
The region is surrounded by mountains, protecting it from cool maritime weather from the W, and warmer, more arid conditions from the S and E.
Rainfall is relatively high (1600mm in the west, 1100 in the E), and mainly falls in autumn and winter.

Question 2

What area does Dao cover? What’s the topography?

Answer 2

A large area, with only 5% dedicated to vine (around 20,000 ha), the majority of land is planted to pine and eucalyptus, which are thought to bring a signature note to the wines.
Mixed, with a number of hills, valleys and mountain ranges, giving a range of altitudes and aspects.
Most vineyards are at 400-500 m (but range from 200m to 900m in the easternmost Serra de Estrela sub region), providing a wide diurnal range.

Question 3

What are typical soil types and climatic hazards in Dao?

Answer 3

Weather granite with a sandy or loamy texture.
Low in organic matter and free draining, constraining vigour and meaning water stress can be an issue during ripening.
Other hazards are hail in summer and frost in spring, especially in flat, low-lying vineyards where mountain air descends and settles.

Question 4

What is typical training in the Dao?

Answer 4

Most vineyards are on gentle slopes, and although bush vines were traditional, many are now s or double Guyot, or cordon with VDP.

Question 5

What role does vintage variation play in Dao?

Answer 5

Significant variances:
2017: 255,000hL
2018: 155,000hL (10 year low)

Question 6

What is the breakdown of production in the Dao? Key varieties?

Answer 6

80% red. Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Jaen and Alfrocheiro, often blended.

Question 7

What role does each red variety play in Dao?

Answer 7

T Roriz and T Nacional, the same as elsewhere, but Nacional can be herbal.
Both can make single varietal wines capable of bottle ageing, or lend structure to a blend.
Jaen (Mencia) produces wines with moderate acidity and raspberry and blackberry. As a single varietal, its sometimes made with carbonic maceration for early consumption.
Alfrocheiro has medium tannin and body with strawberry and blackberry flavour. As a single varietal it’s made in a soft fruity style for early drinking, and sometimes for rosé.
Both can soften and lend ripe fruit flavours to red blends.

Question 8

What is an overview of Dao wines compared to Douro?

Answer 8

Less full bodied and intense, often with fresher flavours and higher acidity.

Question 9

What winemaking has refined red wines from the Dao?

Answer 9

Where wines used to be excessively astringent and lacking in fruit from long periods of maceration followed by extensive maturation in old oak.
Now, shorter maceration and ageing in oak is common. Use of new oak is typical, but some P are starting to reduce the proportion they use.
Now, they’re good to outstanding and mid to premium, with some super premium.

Question 10

What is the typical profile + winemaking of whites from Dao?

Answer 10

Encruzado is the key white grapes (medium to (+) acidity, can be full-bodied and has lemon and peach, sometimes with a floral note.
Can either be fermented in neutral vessels or wood, with maturation in wood, sometimes with lees ageing and stirring.
Oak fermented examples in particular are capable of ageing well in bottle and can develop nutty flavours. Wines are usually good to v good with some outstanding, and mid to premium.
Other common white grapes, usually blended with Encruzado include Malvasia Fina (Bobal), Bical and Cercial.

Question 11

What is the division of land holdings in the Dao?

Answer 11

30,000 growers with an average vineyard area of less than 0.5ha

Question 12

What sparked a rise in quality in the Dao?

Answer 12

Accession to the EU and the overturning of legislation that favoured co-operative production, which resulted in Sogrape leading the way in producing higher quality wines at all price points.
There’s now a number of quality focused private companies (merchants and estates) in the region making premium wines, including a number of new, young winemakers attracted by potential quality.

Question 13

Who are top P in Dao?

Answer 13

Vinha Paz and Quinta da Pellada

Question 14

What is the state of exports from Dao?

Answer 14

15-20% exported. Principal markets are Canada, Brazil, USA and China.

Question 15

Where is Bairrada located? What’s the general climate?

Answer 15

W of Dao. Maritime.
Rainfall is 800-1200mm, but up to 1600mm in some regions, this mainly falls in Spring and Autumn, making problems for late ripening varieties eg Baga.

Question 16

What is the size of Bairrada? Where are the majority of plantings?

Answer 16

DOC boundaries are much larger than the planted area, which is around 10,000 ha.
There’s fertile, alluvial soils in the west, from river estuaries that have silted up, and limestone clay slopes.
In Cantanhede, an unofficial sub region in the warmer S, limestone clay soils have attracted intensive plantings of Baga.

Question 17

How are vines typically trained in Bairrada?

Answer 17

Traditionally high trained, individually staked bush vines.
Recent plantings are trellised, guyot with VSP.

Question 18

What is the breakdown of styles and key varieties profile in Bairrada?

Answer 18

Red wine makes up 2/3rds production.
Baga is the dominant black grape. Has high acidity, high tannins, medium body and cranberry, cherry and plum. Can be astringent when young but becomes softer and more complex with age.

Question 19

What is Bagas history?

Answer 19

Throughout much of the 20th century, Baga was grown at high yields and sold to co-operatives. Wines lacked concentration and were astringent.
Valued for high acidity, a significant amount grown at high yields was also sold, and still is, for Mateus Rosé production.
In the last 30 years, private companies have made wine with a focus on quality. Much greater understanding of how to treat Baga in the vineyard and winery has led to the Ption of very good and outstanding wines.

Question 20

Where does Baga perform best? How do growers raise quality?

Answer 20

As a late ripening, productive variety, site selection and limiting yields are key for ensuring full ripeness. The warmest sites are often with S facing aspects and protected from cool N winds by eucalyptus and pine forests.
It’s thought to ripen best on limestone-clay soils providing the optimum balance of water retention and drainage to ensure the vine has enough water to continue ripening throughout the growing season (photosynthesis can stop in drought), but not so much as to become overly vigorous.
These light coloured soils (especially Cantanhede, where vineyards are strewn with white limestone pebbles and rocks) also reflect solar energy back onto the vines, aiding the ripening process.
By comparison, sandy soils are too dry and are often better suited to the other grape varieties of Baga.
Green harvesting may be carried out to enhance the ripening (removed fruit is sometimes used in sparkling wines, common of the region).

Question 21

What is typical winemaking for Baga?

Answer 21

Traditionally fermented on the stems, which contribute to their reputation of wines best drunk after long bottle ageing.
Most modern producers de stem, though there’s been a return to using a proportion of stems, or adding some back in to fermentation. (Fresher fruit character, enhance aromas through carbonic maceration or give structure through more adding stems).
Fermentation vessels are a mix of steel to open concrete to traditional lagares.
Maturation is most common in large barrels (500-650L) of French oak. Traditional P still use toneis from Portuguese oak or Brazilian hardwood.
Other P who choose to mature their wines in large vessels are using foudres made from French, Italian or Austrian oak.

Question 22

What other varieties are permitted in Bairrada DOC?

Answer 22

A range of other Portuguese (Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Jaen and Camarate (a local variety. Full body, medium tannin, red fruit) and some international (Cab Sauv and Merlot, well suited to maritime and fast draining soils)
These wines are often blended with Baga to soften the tannins and add more body.

Question 23

Which varieties are required in the blends of Bairrada?

Answer 23

Baga Clássico: min 50% Baga, and a minimum of 85% of any blend of Baga, Alfrocheiro, T Nacional, Jaen and Camarate.
Black grapes are permitted in rosé wines.

Question 24

What trend is whites from Bairrada going in? Which are key varieties, and their characteristics?

Answer 24

Interest is growing.
Maria Gomes (Ferñao Pires), Bical, Arinto and Cercial.
Maria Gomes: most planted white in Portugal. Early ripening (favourable in Bairradas damp climate) and can produce high yields.
Wines display floral and citrus aromas. Medium (+) acidity if picked relatively early, but lose acidity quickly.
Bical: early ripening. Peach and sometimes tropical fruit. Medium (+) acidity if picked relatively early, but lose acidity quickly.
Arinto & Cercial: apple and citrus, bring acidity to the blend.

Question 25

What other white varieties are permitted in Bairrada?

Answer 25

Some international, Sauv B and Chard.

Question 26

Which parts of the region are grapes different styles of white wine sourced from? Winemaking for each?

Answer 26

Inexpensive usually from the parts with sandy soils, and fermented at cool temps in steel and bottled for release.
Mid and premium wines are often sourced from the parts of the region with clay-limestone, and may be fermented/matured for a period in oak.

Question 27

What is typical quality and price, and top winemakers?

Answer 27

Generally good, with some very good.
Quinta das Bágeiras and Filipa Pato & William Wouters

Question 28

What other style of wine is produced in Bairrada?

Answer 28

Sparkling, and the leading producer of traditional method sparkling in Portugal.
Accounts for 10% of Bairradas Ption.
Both local grapes and Chard and Pinot are used.

Question 29

What is the breakdown of wine businesses and production in Bairrada?

Answer 29

10,000ha farmed by 2000 growers, co-operatives and merchants are common.
A small group of P, called Baga friends, have grouped together to promote high-quality wines made from Baga.
2017: 92,000hL
2018: 52,000hL (not including spk)
VR Beira Atlântico: 25,000hL. The VR is rarely used, but boundaries extend further than Bairrada and therefore can be used by producers outside the DOC.

Question 30

Which P rejected the Bairrada DOC?

Answer 30

Luis and Filipa Pato, who have turned to the Vinho Regional because, although vineyards lie within Bairrada, they’ve rejected the inclusion of international varieties to the DOC.