Bairrada, Beiras, Portugal
Quinta das Bágeiras is one of the few remaining fully traditional wineries in the Bairrada. Winemaker Mário Sérgio follows strict ancestral methods by employing only native yeasts for his Branco and allowing the just-pressed must to settle 24-36 hours in large, open-topped glass decanters before being transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Reflecting a green-tinged lemon gold in the glass, Bágeiras’s Branco – a blend of indigenous Maria Gomes (50%), Bical (40%) and Cerceal grapes – blossoms with delicious aromas of lemon zest, key lime juice, jasmine, and muskmelon. Brisk and zippy on the palate, white grapefruit, green plum, and green melon fruit mingle with salty, flinty minerals and impressions of fresh tarragon. The wine finishes bright and bursting with juicy citric acidity, begging to be paired with green vegetables and seafood. Enjoy now and over the coming two years with grilled summer squashes, broiled asparagus, salt cod fritters, fresh oysters, steamed clams, and delicate white-flesh fish preparations.
A June 2020 newsletter selection