I remember visiting Quinta de Foz de Arouce a few years ago. It’s a really lovely estate in the Beiras region, just south of Bairrada, near coimbra, and I wrote a report on it. The soils are schist and the grape variety here is Baga, and this is the first vintage of a special bottling from old vines, and at age 15 it’s delicious and still has some time to go.

Quinta de Foz de Arouce Vinhas Velhas de Santa Maria 2003 Beiras, Portugal
13.5% alcohol. Very old Baga wines planted in schist soils, fermented in lagares and then aged in new oak. Bright and expressive with lovely tannic structure and focused black cherry and blackberry fruit. This has developed really well with nice freshness, hints of earth and spice, a twist of iodine, and really compact structure. The oak is perfectly integrated into the dense core of fruit. It reminds me of a modern but very expensive Barolo with real intensity and more than a hint of elegance. 94/100