2013 Niepoort Lagar de Baixos Tinto

On its second edition, Lagar de Baixo 2013 carries on with the same mission: to reflect the potential of the variety Baga from Bairrada, in a classical way. Lagar de Baixo Tinto is the result of grapes coming from very old vines and grapes from younger vineyards, a complex and serious red wine, but with youth and vigour.

2013 was a wet year, with rain during the winter and spring. As a result, the budburst occurred fifteen days later than the previous year and the whole growing cycle was delayed. The summer was not as hot as usual and the nights were quite cold in the last two weeks of August.

The harvest began in early September in the younger vines. The ripening was balanced, with the grapes showing a good sugar level and a relatively high content of malic acid, resulting in a total acidity higher than the previous year. Lagar de Baixo 2013 was vinified in lagar where it fermented for 4 weeks. The fermentation finished in barrel and wooden cask. The malolactic fermentation occurred in 228L used barrels and in 2500L used wooden cask, where it aged for 18 months. It was bottled without filtration.

With a lighter colour than the first edition, it presents a cherry and blackberry aroma, with a slight vegetal profile, reminding stem. The wood is fully integrated, in a delicate, very fragrant, and expressive way. In the mouth, has vigour, great precision, and earthy tannins, very typical of the Baga variety. Although with a light volume on the mouth, the structure on the palate is strong, with a very refreshing and clean finish. With only 11.3% and an excellent balance, invites us immediately for another glass. It should be served in Burgundy glass and slightly chilled (14/15 ° C).

Producer

Quinta de Baixo, Vinhos da Bairrada S.A.

Region

Bairrada

Soil Type

Calcareous-clay

Average Vine Age

20 years

Grape Varieties

Baga

Vines per HA

2500

Pruning Method

Guyot

Alt. from Sea Level

At sea level

Harvest Period

Early September

Harvest Method

Hand picked

Malolactic

Barrel/Wooden Cask

Fermentation

Lagar/Barrel/ Wooden Cask

Bottled

June 2015

Ageing

18 months in Barrel/ Wooden Cask

Residual Sugar (g/dm³)

1.4

Alcohol (%)

11.5

Total Acidity (g/dm³)

6.04

Volatile Acidity (g/dm³)

0.79

Free SO₂ at Bottling (mg/dm³)

25

Production

3.900 bottles/0.75L