Luis Pato, Baga, Vinha Pan, Bairrada DOC, Portugal 2013

Luis Pato is one of the great estates of Europe. His family's legacy is foundational to the history of Bairrada. The estate comprises an enviable collection of vineyards, all farmed with extreme care, and bottled as singular expressions.

Luis Pato’s Baga character starts in the vineyard. Each Baga vine is harvested three times. First a traditional green harvest right after fruit set, then a second harvest in August to make sparkling wines. Finally, a third harvest is made, typically at the beginning of October, harvesting Baga at perfect ripeness to make red wines. 

In the winery, the Baga is totally destemmed before fermenting in open vats. The wine is then aged in a combination of used and new French and Portuguese oak barrels for two years. The single vineyard wines then rest in bottle for at least another two years before release, although many wines are allowed to develop in bottle for much longer.