Baga

Baga is the signature red grape of Bairrada, a small coastal wine region in central Portugal, and the source of some of the country's most structured and age-worthy reds. A small-berried, thick-skinned, late-ripening variety, it yields wines that are deeply coloured, firmly tannic and bracingly high in acidity, built around red and black fruit. Lean and astringent when young, the best examples soften over years in bottle into something elegant and savoury, and the grape is so demanding that it is often compared to Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir for its mix of power, acidity and capacity to age. Beyond still reds it also makes vivid rosé and is a backbone of Bairrada's traditional-method sparkling wine.