Niepoort NAT’Cool! Tinto Bairrada 1L 2024

Dirk Niepoort is kind of a big deal in Portugal. He launched a line called NAT'Cool! with a very specific mission: natural as possible, low alcohol, terroir-driven, native grapes, affordable, and so smashable it only comes in 1 litre bottles. 

This one is from Bairrada, made with Baga from vines that are 40 to 100 years old. Normally Baga makes these big, dark, tannic monsters. Dirk looked at that tradition and said "what if we didn't?" So he fermented it naturally in stainless steel, aged it in stainless steel, and let the purity of the fruit do the talking.

A dream of wild cherry, perfumed raspberry, crushed herbs. It's lifted and fresh, with fine long tannins and a saline finish. Served best with a slight chill.

It's fun, it's approachable, and it completely reimagines what Baga can be. A charmer, through and through.