Niepoort NatCool Drink Me 1 Liter 2024

Niepoort was founded in 1842 and is best known for Port, but the family also makes still wines that pair tradition with a modern, natural approach. NatCool Drink Me is single-variety Baga from the DOC Bairrada in the Beiras, a coastal region of clay and limestone soils cooled by the Atlantic. Baga is a thick-skinned, high-acid grape that can be austere, but picked for freshness and made in this style it is bright and approachable. The wine is made naturally, with native-yeast fermentation and little intervention, and kept low in alcohol at 11.5 per cent for immediate, thirst-quenching drinking. Traditional Bairrada techniques sit behind it, from careful handling to fermentation in inert vessels that keep the fruit clean and primary. The colour is a light, vivid ruby, the nose showing red cherry, cranberry, pomegranate and a faint earthiness. The palate is light and juicy, with fresh acidity, low tannin and a savoury, mouth-watering finish. Serve chilled at 12 to 13 degrees. It is an all-purpose red for casual food and works straight from the fridge.