Filipa Pato Bairrada Ensaios Filipa Pato 2009

The grapes in this wine are Touriga Nacional, Baga, and Alfrocheiro. A lively and earthy trio of indigenous Portuguese varietals. Savory aromas entwined with ruby fruit: strawberry, raspberry, some plum shining through, and minerality. Medium bodied and easy slaking. Tasting Filipa’s wines was one of the most unexpected highlights of my trip to Portugal. That lady knows what to do with a grape. Not only does she have a great family legacy of winemaking, but has made wine with great winemakers throughout the new world, mastering modern winemaking technology then abandoning it in favor of minimal intervention/natural winemaking. She only works with indigenous varietals, mostly coming from old vines in the Beiras. Her wines are intended to pair with food, they are elegant, dry and often have powerful minerality. Made in very small quantity. The Ensaios is just a glimpse of her higher level wines.