Caves São João was originally founded as a traditional Port wine house in 1920, but when geographical boundaries were formed that defined where Port could be made, their production shifted to the polar opposite: sparkling wine. Over the years, they became a flagship producer for Portuguese sparkling and the revenue this generated allowed them to branch out into still wines of various styles. As Caves São João built their brand, they started acquiring other small, tradition-minded estates—like today’s Quinta do Poço do Lobo. Over time, they amassed a whopping collection (hundreds of thousands of bottles) and stowed them away in their cavernous cellar. When Baga and other red Portuguese wines fell out of popularity toward the end of the century, Caves São João kept on cellaring, and, lo and behold, there is once again a growing movement for elegant, traditionally-crafted wines. As a result, they opened their cellar doors in 2013 to offer the world these back-vintage gems—they are the only Portuguese winery commercially selling library release wines.

Baga is one of those unique varieties that has remained a well-guarded secret by those in the know. It is a signature red grape of the Bairrada DOC, an appellation in northern Portugal that reaches toward the Atlantic coast. Today’s 1995 Reserva comes from vines planted in 1980 that sit in the heart of Bairrada. Soil here is largely clay-limestone and, with the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, there is a significant maritime influence here. Grapes were harvested and fermented on their skins in open-top bins for several weeks before aging 24 months in concrete vessels. The final blend was 90% Baga, 5% Castelão and 5% Moreto (of which they no longer have plantings). It was lightly filtered before bottling and then was sent to rest in their cellars in 1998, where it remained untouched for nearly two decades.

Poço do Lobo's 1995 Reserva reveals a slightly hazy (from lingering sediment) and fully opaque garnet-ruby core in the glass. Mahogany reflections dance out to a brick orange rim and the delicate nose immediately sends your mind racing in all directions. It’s super old-school right out of the gate, with notes of dried cherry, red currant, black raspberry, red and purple wildflowers, fruitcake, cacao, sandalwood, leather, cedar and underbrush. The palate shows impressive structure, with “full-gripped” tannins and a surprisingly fresh finish. This is reminiscent of all sorts of classic wines: a Bordeaux-like nose, the elegant mouthfeel of Burgundy, and the structure of Piemontese Nebbiolo. It’s impossible to pinpoint, but wherever you land, I know you’ll love this mature Portuguese red; it’s one of the best I’ve had in some time. I recommend pouring the ‘95 directly into large Burgundy stems and consuming over a two-hour window—it’s best to drink before exposing to excess oxygen. For those that want to hang onto a few bottles, it easily has several more years left in the tank—another decade, even. When I tasted this wine, I was transported back to my first job in the wine business, which was just a little ways northeast of Bairrada in Portugal’s Douro region; the attached recipe for feijoada is as authentic as it gets and will pair seamlessly with this earthy, evocative red. Cheers!