World-renowned wine consultant, Pascal Chatonnet, who has worked with the likes of Spain's Bodegas Vega Sicilia, Châteaux Cos d’Estournel and d’Issan in Bordeaux and Château de Beaucastel in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, has run the winemaking team since the first vintage in 2008, drawing the attention of national and international critics to a wine that was almost immediately lauded as one of the 10 best red wines in the world (2009 vintage in “Spirito di Vino” magazine, 2013).

Pascal was hired as the owner of the estate was a huge fan of Bordeaux, so he wanted to make the best Bordeaux style wine from Portuguese terroir. Pascal himself already made Bordeaux, so he was more interested to make a Portuguese wine, showcasing Touriga Nacional, but blending in Bordeaux varieties that he already understood so well - the result is a wine that, at first, smells like Bordeaux, but then shows the herbal, spicy notes from the Touriga, an irresistible, intriguing wine that draws you in and makes you want to drink the whole bottle! The quality here is so much higher than you would get for around £100 a bottle in Bordeaux, and i highly recommend them all. Packed in invididual 3x75 OWCs, this is a superb collector's item, but essentially, they are just absolutely delicious drinks!

The property’s 61 hectares of vines are spread across the rich clay-limestone soils that dominate the gentle hills of this estate. The entire vineyard is dry farmed, meaning no irrigation is used. Here, three of the world’s highly reputed red grape varietals—Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot—are planted and meticulously cared for. These grapes are vinified using gravity flow winemaking, producing our most emblematic red wine, which can stand shoulder to shoulder with the finest red wines in the world.

Grapes are harvested manually and then placed onto a selection tray where only the very best bunches enter the winery. Destemming and crushing follow. Grapes are then transferred to temperature-controlled stainless steel vats where alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place. Maceration lasts for approximately 20 days, using the delestage technique. After fermentation, the wine undergoes a further maceration with the seeds to extract tannins that will contribute to the wine’s structure. The wine is then aged for 24 to 30 months in 225 litre French oak barrels (both new and used). The final blend ages for another 6 years in the bottle before being released to the market.

Principal Grande Reserva quickly became one of Bairrada's icons, recognised for its exceptional quality and unique style.

N.B. This wine is not currently in stock but can be ordered, usually for delivery within a few weeks -  please email info@cellarselect.co.uk for availability and lead time, or it will be confirmed after an order is placed.