1996 Quinta do Poço do Lobo, Bairrada, $52

Winery Info: Cave São João was founded in Portugal in 1920 as a traditional Port house.  

The business evolved over the years and in the 1930s they began to produce wines from properties in other regions, including Bairrada, in northern Portugal. Over the years wine trends shifted and, for a time, interest in wines from Bairrada, based on the red grape Baga, waned. Eventually that changed, but in the meantime the winery amassed a large collection of back vintages. In 2013, they decided to begin releasing those wines, dating from 1959 to 2000, which had been aging under perfect conditions in their cellars. Fortunately, Baga is a very ageworthy grape, with firm tannins and high acidity, which has allowed the wines to mellow slowly and gracefully. This is the current release from the winery.

Grapes: 90% Baga, the predominant grape in Bairrada, and 5% each Castelão Nacional and Moreto.

Vineyard: Poço do Lobo, located in Pocariça, Cantanhede, acquired by Cave São João in 1972. With clay/limestone soil and a strong maritime influence thanks to proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

Flavor Profile: This is a rare opportunity to taste a traditionally crafted, carefully aged, mature Bairrada. It has complex, “old school” aromas and flavors of dried currants, black cherry, dried herbs, and forest floor. With savory hints of game, firm but mellowed tannins, and fresh acidity.

Availability: This vintage will probably not be around much longer.

Drinking Window: It is ready to enjoy now or over the next few years.

Food Pairing: This wine would pair well with beef or venison, especially with mushrooms. Or try it with feijoada, a Portuguese bean stew made with beef and pork.

2021 Jean-Marc Brocard, Chablis Premier Cru, Vau de Vey, $44

Winery Info: Jean-Marc Brocard established his small winery in 1973 in Préhy, in the heart of Chablis. It has since grown to a 120-hectare estate and produces a number of single-vineyard wines from throughout the region. His son Julien, who has worked alongside him since 1995, now oversees the winery and has been instrumental in converting the vineyards to organic and biodynamic farming. They sum up their house style as: “Force, fraicheur, précision” (force, freshness, precision).

Grapes: 100% Chardonnay, aged in stainless steel and neutral oak.

Vineyard: Their Premier Cru vineyard, Vau de Vey, located on the left bank of the Serein River, facing east. Here the vines cling to a very steep slope of Kimmerdgian limestone soil.

Flavor Profile: The terroir of Vau de Vey tends to produce rich yet delicate wines with excellent minerality. This offering is clean and precise, with balancing acidity, and a soft, delicate finish.

Availability: This vintage should be in good supply going forward.

Drinking Window: Enjoy anytime, now or over the next five years.

Food Pairing: This wine would pair well with seafood or shellfish, grilled or in a cream sauce. Or with poultry or white meat dishes.