SIDÓNIO DE SOUSA | Garrafeira | 2009
baga
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Tonight we are going to review a wine that is both, rare and unique, a wine we were so eager to try for such a long time, but we’ve been patiently waiting for the right time – Garrafeira 2009 from Sidónio de Sousa. This is a single varietal baga wine – a red grape that produces thick-skinned, tannic and highly acidic wines, grown mainly in Bairrada. In the past, the wines made from baga grapes were known to be dense, black-fruit driven with high acidity and a tar-like finish. The wines were so structured, they would slowly and stubbornly morph into very fine wines over the course of 10 to 20 years, similar to italian nebbiolo, but enough theory, let’s get straight to the tasting and find out just how good this wine really is.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Deep and noble garnet color, with some crimson hues towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with black fruits: black cherry, blackcurrant, ripe sour cherry, black mulberry, roasted oakwood, black tea and truffles. An instant later the nose is filled with notes of tobacco, hazelnut, leather and some nuanced hints of black pepper.
Gustatory
The wine is extra-dry, with high alcohol level, high acidity and firm tannin. It feels bold, velvety and complex at the same time, with overwhelming tannin and sharp acidity. This is a muscular, firm and well structured wine, as it tastes seedy, spicy and expressive. The wine has a very good overall balance between fruit and barrique, with the main accent on the fruity tannin side.
Aftertaste
It has a long finish and a velvety-elegant and tannic aftertaste.
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This is definitely a great Wine of Portugal and the overall rating says the same, with 92.5 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.
Conclusion: this is a wine that is right around the corner of its prime form, with some subtle signs of decline – bold, tannic and firm, but velvety and elegant at the same time. This wine requires no more bottle ageing, as it already developed into a genuine, fully mature baga wine, that offers an explosion of black fruits and tannins. This is a rare example when all the conditions are in place, which is a pure delight. More than that, this wine was aged for 18 months in 100-year‐old portuguese oak barrels, which is a rare find if you ask us. Needless to mention that this wine was awarded 92 Parker points. You can pair this wine with some black pepper crusted filet mignon steak or a grilled new york strip steak, as one cannot go wrong with any of these two. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
SIDÓNIO DE SOUSA
Garrafeira | 2009
grape: baga
overall rating: | 92.5 |
conclusion: excellent | (a must try)
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(c) The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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