1995 Caves São João - Poço do Lobo Tinto Reserva (89 pts)

1995 Caves São João - Poço do Lobo Tinto Reserva (89 pts) @cavessaojoao @obrigadovinhos · 🙋‍♂️ Have you brought wine back from a vacation and what was it❓· ℹ️ This wine is 90% Baga (see previous posts), 5% Castelão, and 5% Moreto. All are indigenous red 🍇 to Portugal. This actually a single vineyard, planted in 1980 on clay and limestone soils at 50 m. This vineyard is located in Bairrada, which has a maritime climate with a lot of rainfall, due to proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore there is a lot of rot and disease pressure for Baga, which can be difficult to grow. Made using open top fermenters with extended skin maceration. Aged for 24 months in concrete before being filtered and bottled· 👁 Deep ruby color and garnet rim, not showing it's age· 👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, forest floor, herbal, menthol, tobacco, thyme, dried wood, VA, and violets· 👄 The wine is dry, medium+ acidity, medium+ grippy tannins, medium alcohol, and medium+ body. A medium length finish of dried black fruit and tobacco· 🔔 This was hand carried back from the winery, but these are still available on the market in the $30s. Given it's age it is very impressive. The acidity is vibrant and the tannins are just starting to mellow. This is the a very classic representation of Baga. Again there is no oak on this wine but extended skin contact for an already tannic grape. The winery started releasing some of it's stockpile starting in 2013. They have vintages back to the 1950s just sitting in a giant cellar - It's like tasting a piece of history.