In damp, limestone Bairrada on Portugal's Atlantic coast, the Baga grape makes a tannic, high-acid red that in a cool year can be severe and in a warm one magnificent — deep, structured and tarry, ageing for decades into something like old-school Barolo. It is one of Portugal's most distinctive and demanding wines.
A devoted band of growers has spent a generation learning to soften Baga's fierce edges without losing its soul, and the results are some of the country's most singular fine reds. Bairrada also makes crisp Baga rosé and fine traditional-method sparkling on the same chalky clay.