Grande Birra/Miguel Silva Baga, Barraida | 2021

The thirty something year-old Miguel Silva is an upcoming producer in the Barraida region, about 1-hour heading northeast from Lisbon. Here, the Baga grape is the star. Some liken Baga to Nebbiolo, but I never understood that comparison. To me, Baga is softer and more Sauvage, and it tastes like you're drinking the outdoors. This red wine comes from two crazy old vineyards (100+ vines) smack in the middle of the forest. Pale and translucent in the glass, it's 98% Baga with 2% of the aromatic white grape, Maria Gomes (or Fernão Pires). Fermented and aged in cement, with about 40% whole-cluster, the palate glides with wild red fruits and tree bark spices. It's feathery, and as I wrote in my tasting journal "Not at all like Nebbiolo." This is for the adventurous drinker who likes light red wines with a small dose of quirks and funk. Keep Miguel Silva on your radar, and also, look out for his exotic white field blend called Transmission! ~Allegra A