Had a late birthday celebration in Lisbon with a group of friends who aren’t winos, and I wanted to offer wines to the table that were solid, approachable and reflected my tastes, without needing to go into blue chip stuff. Brought the Heidsieck Reserve and Taittinger Prelude for the starters (both of which disappeared very rapidly) and for the main courses I offered a magnum of this wine, purchased for a measly 34€, and just as much of a hit. Gorgeous nose of fresh plum and wild berries, intermingled with shrubs, damp forest floor and pine tree. The kind of wine I could sniff all day, though still totally primary. The palate is admittedly linear and taut, but it has terrific freshness and very balanced acidity and volume. 12,5% abv. The epitome of a food wine, and of Bairrada reds.
I guess a Portuguese ‘crowd-pleaser’ is different to an American ‘crowd-pleaser’!
From a personal perspective, put a Baga wine in front of me and invariably I’m very happy indeed. Probably my favourite grape in Portugal.
You’d be surprised. I have shown balanced, fresh wines such as these to a variety of casual wine drinking friends (who will generally consume a variety of what can be found in the average supermarket) and the reaction is almost invariably positive. I’ve come to realize that most people who claim to have a preference for wines I might describe as unbalanced, overripe or downright spoofy have simply been suffering from a lack of exposure to other things.
Happy Birthday young man! I believe I know where you purchased that bottle 
We recently drank the 2019 vintage of this wine and enjoyed it very much. Infanticide for sure but we were able to coax many of the characteristics you describe. Now I need to return for the 2012.
Happy Birthday Tomas !