2021 Lagar de Baixo (Niepoort) Baga Bairrada

Staff Reviews

AH

Aaron Hughes

Aaron Hughes

Review Date: 02/2026

While there's really lovely crunchy fruit on the nose, there's this ethereal smokiness, which comes across as terroir, that's only come out more since we opened this earlier today, it's winding its way through the whole nose and it's super alluring and interesting, it makes everything it touches slightly savory. The palate is really juicy, and there's a dustiness lingering on the finish. There's cranberry, pie cherry, some slightly underripe raspberry, and then it goes into something very savory and a little salty, and then the finish comes around and there's this beautiful spiciness on the finish along with just a little touch of something pithy. This is so fun and interesting, and a varietal I haven't had a lot of experience with. We tried a few today and this was one of my favorites. Really enjoyable, very mid-low tannins overall. Go for it.

Notes

Dirk Niepoort is one of the most important, influential, and curious winemakers in Portugal. He can be credited with the creation of the modern dry red wines from the Douro Valley. Not content with understanding that unique terroir of the Douro Valley and the 90 plus grapes that are grown there, he wanted to explore more of Portugal’s riches. One of his first stops was Bairrada, and its infamous red grape Baga. He fell in love with the cool coastal climate and the limestone rich soils and how they are expressed through Baga. So much so he purchased the property which he named “Lagar de Baixo”. He farms the property organically and biodynamically. This bottle is 100% Baga that fermented carbonically and then is aged for 29 months in large used French oak barrels. This wine was inspired by Cru Beaujolais; with its bright mix of dark and red fruits, with layers of earth and spice. Juicy and dry; the charming fruit pops and is accented by subtle oak, chalky minerality and fine tannins. Here is a wine that can pair with a wide variety of dishes and inspire your curiosity about Portugues wines.