Reserva Frei João Bairrada Baga

Bramble and earth - slight fruit - rarely taste Baga wines

Wine dinner with friends; paired with skirt steak; a lot of acid had fallout of solution

Wow truly a joy to taste wine produced 25 years before I was born . Old , earthy -cherry jerky .

Nose starts very woodsy and opens up with a dried plum/prune

Still fresh and lively and went well with meats in the paella. A bit reticent at first on nose but opened up and balanced acidic and earthy and minerals on palate with long finish that lingers with acids.

I was puzzled to find this in an '85 vintage at retail... a kinda weird wine, blended primarily from Baga, which I've never encountered. A smoky nose, like firewood...

Hang on, little buddy! We are the world! That was '85, right?!?

Maybe I am being a prisoner of the moment here, but this wine is delicious. I almost want to just keep swishing it over my tongue. Light brick hue, noticeable rim variation when held to light. Deep rich flavors of plum, tobacco, black cherry, and Herbs de Provence. Such a seamlessly integrated wine that is remarkably lush on the palate while retaining nice acidity given its age. Admittedly, I haven't much Baga based wine, but my wine shop guy swore buy and led me straight to it. What choice did I have. Again, this wine is delicious plain and simple.

Reliable good value. Hard to find, though. I get at Lisbon in Newark's Ironbound.

Wowowowow. drank this with AWOLL