Portugal: Bairrada DOC

Question 1

Bairrada: Climate

Answer 1

• maritime climate
  -Annual rain 800-1200mm
  mainly in autum and spring - problematic for late ripening Baga

Question 2

Bairrada: Soils and Viticulture

Answer 2

• fertile alluvial soils i the west from river esturaries that have silted up - also limestone -clay slopes
  -Cantanhede subregion in the south has a warm climate with limestone pebbles -clay and attracing Baga plantings

-green harvesting helps to enhance the ripeing of the bunches and fruit is removed to use in sparkling

-vineyards were indivual stakes of bush vines , recently moved to Guyot ( replacdement cane pruned ) and VSP

Question 3

Bairrada: BAGA

Answer 3

-red wines 2/3 of plantings
BAGA - grape
Late ripening, and productive - carefull site selction and limiting yields to ensure ripeness
Warmest sites are south facing to protect from cool winds by the pine and eucalyptus forests
Baga is thought to ripen best on limestone -clay soils whihc provide water retention and drainage to ensure the vine had enough water to ripen through dry summer /droughts
but also to control vigour

Cantanhede - white limestone pebble that reflect solar energy back

Wines are high in acid and tannins and medium body of cranberry, cherry and plum fruit
Softer and more complex with bottle age
-20th century ,grown at high yields and sold to co-ops - lacked fruit concentrion and astringent
-valued for its fresh acidity , Baga grown at high yields awas solf and and still is for the Mateus Rose
focus now in the last 30 years is on quality
“friends of Baga’ -

Also DOC allows Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, JAen and Camarate in the blend .
Also Cab Sauv and Merlot suited to the maritime climate and free draining soils

Baga Classico must be 50% Baga , and 85% Baga, Alfrocheiro, Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Camarate in a blend

Question 4

Bairrada : Winemaking

Answer 4

• wines were traditionally fermented on skins /stems making them astrigent and needing time in bottle
  -now common to de-stem and use a portion of whoel bunch to give fresher aromas ( whole bunch) and greater structure ( stems) for wines to undergo long ageing
  -SS tanks to open vats to Lagares
  -Maturation is carried out in large 500-650L barrels of French oak
  Some still use Toneis - made of Portugese or Brazilian hardwood
• now more commmon to use Foudres of French, Italian and Austrian oak

Question 5

Bairrada: White wines

Answer 5

-**Maria Gomes **- most planted, early ripening and can produce high yields
- Citrus , floral

**Bical **- early ripening , good for rains
-peach and tropical fruit
-Medium plus acidity if picked early , but lose acid quickly

Arinto and Cercial are used in blends to add acidity - apple citrus

International SB and Chardonnay are also allowed

Inexpensive wines are sourced from the sandy soils and fermented in SS tanks at cool temps for short sale

Mid priced and prem wines are sourced from limestone -clay soils and may be fermented for a short tiem in oak - good
eg. Quinta das Bageiras and Filipa Pato and Wouters

Also the leader of sparkling wines in Portugal at 10% of production - both local grapes , Chard and Pinot Noir are used

Question 6

Bairrada: Wine Business

Answer 6

• farmed by 2000 growers , merchants and co-ops are popular
  -small group of producers called Baga Friends make high qulaity wines from 100% Baga
  -vintage variation can flucuate between 92,000L in 2017 and 50,000L in 2019
  VR , Beira Atlantico make 27,000hL and can be used by producers outsside Bairrada DOC

** Luis Pato and Fiipa Pato have used Vinho Regional ( even thought the are in the DOC , as an objection to the allowance of international varieties )