Filipa Pato Espírito de Baga Fortified Red

Filipa Pato Espírito de Baga is a sweet Portuguese fortified red wine (vinho licoroso) from Bairrada, made by Filipa Pato and William Wouters from the Baga grape. Think of it as Bairrada's answer to Port: a rare, dark and spicy dessert wine that surprises everyone at the table.

Tasting notes

The grapes are foot-trodden in a wooden lagar, then the wine is fortified with a Baga-based brandy, which stops fermentation and keeps natural sweetness. It ages in old wooden casks before bottling. The producer describes blackberry, blackcurrant, cherry and damson with tobacco, herbal spice and a peppery core.

Food pairing

Try it with dark chocolate, a ripe Serra da Estrela or blue cheese, a fig and walnut tart, or even roast game.

About Filipa Pato

Filipa Pato and her husband William Wouters make wine in Bairrada, on Portugal's Atlantic side, under the motto of authentic wines without make-up. They farm their vineyards along biodynamic principles and focus on the region's native grapes, Baga, Bical, Maria Gomes and Cercial.

Good to know

• Serve at 10-12 °C, decanted. Keeps several weeks once opened, with the cork back in.
• Fortified red wine from Baga.
• A rare gift for Port lovers who want something different.