Lotte has just returned from harvest with Niepoort in Bairrada and Dão, where she was welcomed with incredible Portuguese hospitality and quickly became part of the Niepoort family.
During her first week, Lotte spent time in Dão, helping to process grapes for the Conciso and Rótulo wines. Quinta de Lomba is a beautiful gravity-fed cellar, home to traditional granite lagares and surrounded by Niepoort’s own vineyards at high altitude.
For the following two weeks, Lotte moved to Bairrada, a very different state of mind. Bairrada is a region of single-variety wines, from Baga and sparkling wines to beautiful whites made from Bical, Maria Gomes and Cercial.
At Quinta de Baixo, the main focus is Baga: a wild, tannic and fresh variety with the structure to age beautifully. Niepoort produces two very different expressions of Baga: the light and playful Nat’Cool, and the more serious Lagar de Baixo and Poerinho.
Baga has risen and fallen in popularity over the years, but it never disappeared, thanks in large part to resilient farmers who chose not to replant their vineyards with international varieties. The winery is located in Cantanhede, within Bairrada’s largest stretch of exposed solid limestone.
The vineyards in the triangle between Cordinhã, Cantanhede and Pena sit on different types of limestone, ranging from the oldest to the youngest formations of the Jurassic period. The soils vary subtly from plot to plot, adding another layer of complexity to the wines.
Only 26 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, the vineyards benefit from a combination of maritime freshness and the salinity of the limestone soils. Together, these elements bring finesse and elegance, while retaining a distinctive rustic charm.
Bairrada is a challenging region, and it doesn’t always reward you. But when everything comes together, it can produce some truly remarkable wines, wines that make the wait worthwhile.
