Filipa Pato Nossa Missão 2021

Concentrated, with dark fruit, dark cherries and a touch of balsamic. The palate is medium- to full-bodied and full of energy, with significant tannins, fresh acidity and a long, profound finish. Everything is in place and harmonious. A year of concentration, according to Filipa. This comes from a 0.57-hectare single-vineyard plot of more than 150-year-old ungrafted vines planted in shallow limestone soil with red clay on top. It is the purest expression of baga, according to Filipa. Partially destemmed, it ages for 12 to 18 months (depending on the vintage) in traditional 1,500-liter pipas. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter and Ecocert certification. A joy to drink now, but will benefit from some time in bottle.

The 2021 Nossa Missão is a single-vineyard Baga from 130+-year-old pre-phylloxera vines. It was aged for 18 months in 600-liter Stockinger second-use Austrian casks and comes in at 12.5% alcohol. The producer's Baga tends to lean to refined and polished, as Baga goes, but this is the bottling of theirs that I feel most projects some old-school traits. This brand is earthier and a bit more tannic as a rule, but it's still not out of control in any way. This year's version is rather more approachable, although there is still firmness on the finish. There is always attention to mid-palate finesse, and that is true this year too. The finesse makes this seem very graceful. The wood imparts no vanilla, but there is some lushness to go with the silky texture. It becomes fresher with aeration. If there is somewhat modest mid-palate depth, there is also that sense of refinement and concentrated fruit too. It's not quite as hard-edged as some other years have been, but it is perhaps even more acidity-driven. Overall, it's beautiful. This may be ready to drink a bit earlier than some, although it could still use some time to settle down, evolve and gain additional complexity. You could dive in now if you really wanted to, but you'd be better off waiting a few years. That will let it develop and strut its stuff. Can it hit another level? It has a good chance, assuming you cooperate and give it a few years; we'll see what it looks like in 2030. I will say that the taste I had at four hours open was a lot more interesting and gripping than the first pour. The longer I had it open, the more I liked it. It will hold very well, perhaps better than indicated, so there's no rush.