The World of Filipa Pato

There's something quietly radical about choosing to explore nuance over noise, especially in a world that rewards loudness. That's partly why this tasting happened - to pause, to reflect, and to support a cause while immersed in the careful, deliberate work of one of Portugal's most distinctive winemakers.

This tasting wasn't just about wine. All proceeds go toward purchasing drone parts to support Ukrainian defenders. If you've been following the war or have friends on the front, you know - there's a constant shortage of drones, and every additional pair of eyes in the sky can save lives. It's a small but real way to turn our love for wine into something that matters.

We're also deeply grateful to Alessio Alexeev and the team at Wine Wine, who made this tasting possible. After the previous importer (Roots) closed its doors, they picked up Filipa Pato and brought her wines back to Ukraine. Even more generously, they provided a promotional discount specifically for this event - another small act of solidarity that made a real difference.

Filipa Pato, together with her husband William Wouters, has helped reshape the way Bairrada expresses itself to the world. Their wines aren't about power plays or international styling - they're about authenticity, terroir, and a love for the native Baga and Bical grapes. This isn't a nostalgia project, though. It's more like a return to form, but with a clear-eyed modern sensibility: biodynamics not as branding, but as philosophy; amphora not as trend, but as continuity. In short, a practice of "vinho sem maquilhagem" - wine without makeup.

Filipa's work also traces the contours of a larger conversation about Portuguese wine. While regions like Douro and Dão often dominate export markets, Bairrada has been slowly and steadily gaining recognition - especially as younger winemakers (sometimes the children of legends, as is Filipa) reinterpret its potential. This tasting offered a glimpse into that quiet revolution.

Filipa Pato 3B Blanc de Blancs Unfiltered NV

A non-vintage Brut Nature sparkling wine made using the classical method with a blend of 80% Bical, 9% Maria Gomes, and 11% Cercial. The grapes are grown on Jurassic chalky clay midslopes in Óis do Bairro, shaped by intense Atlantic influence. No oak ageing; second fermentation in bottle with 9 months on the lees. Farming follows organic and biodynamic principles; certification currently in conversion.

Filipa Pato 3B Rosé Unfiltered NV

This Extra Brut rosé sparkling wine blends 87% Baga and 13% Bical, also from Óis do Bairro. Traditional method, no oak, 9 months on lees, and bottled unfiltered and unfined. The focus is on preserving purity and natural freshness. Grown with organic and biodynamic practices, certification in conversion.

Filipa Pato Nossa Calcário Bical 2023

100% Bical grown on chalky Jurassic soils near the Atlantic, with fog-prone mornings and shallow limestone-rich subsoil. Fermented with native yeasts in 500 - 600L oak barrels and one 2000L vat. Aged 10 months on fine lees without bâtonnage. Blended and bottled according to the lunar calendar. Certified organic (Certiplanet) and biodynamic (Demeter). Total production: 7666 bottles (750 ml) and 240 magnums.

Filipa Pato D.N.M.C. Baga 2024

A young, fruit-forward Bairrada DOC red made from 100% Baga. Grapes are hand-harvested from multiple plots - mostly younger vines massale-selected from old vineyards. Fermented with native yeasts, minimal extraction, and long skin contact. No oak; just two months in bottle before release. Organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards; certification in progress.

Filipa Pato Post Quer..s Baga 2023

An amphora-aged expression of Baga - or as the label says, Post-Quercus (after oak). Fermented and aged in 400 - 600L clay talhas from local soils, which provide gentle oxygenation and allow the grape's purity to shine. Grapes are harvested from 80-year-old vines across small plots in Bairrada. Certified organic (Certiplanet) and biodynamic (Demeter). 3457 bottles produced.

Filipa Pato Nossa Missão 2023

This is Filipa's crown jewel - a wine from a tiny, 0.57 ha pre-phylloxera Baga vineyard with vines over 150 years old. One of the few such sites remaining in Bairrada. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand with surgical precision. Some are destemmed, others fermented whole-cluster, depending on vintage character. Fermentation occurs with wild yeasts, punched down by hand over 3 weeks. Pressing is done slowly in a basket press. Aged 18 months in traditional pipa barrels. Certified organic (Certiplanet) and biodynamic (Demeter). Production is extremely limited: only 720 bottles and 45 magnums.

This is not just a flagship - it's a living archive. Missão represents what Baga can be when allowed to age, to deepen, and to speak softly but lastingly. It's built for decades, with fine-grained tannins, a mineral spine, and the kind of composure that rarely shows in youth. The fact that wines like this still exist - and still get made with this much care - is something close to a miracle.

Luis Pato Vinha Pan Espumante 2020

From Filipa's father, Luis Pato - a key figure in modern Bairrada. Vinha Pan is a single-vineyard site known for its elegant Baga, which here becomes a traditional method sparkling wine. Specific blend and base vintage may vary with disgorgement. Typically no dosage, and always firmly rooted in Luis' personal vision of precision and typicity.

Conclusion

What Filipa Pato does with Baga and Bical feels both elemental and refined - like carving stone with silk gloves. These wines don't just demand attention; they reward it. And in moments like this tasting, they do more than that - they give something back.

Whether it's supporting our defenders with drone parts or supporting vineyards with centuries of life beneath their roots, this tasting was a quiet act of resistance - and of care.

Resources

• Filipa Pato official website
• Wines of Portugal -- Bairrada Region
• Luis Pato official website

Raw scores