Red Wine Reserva Especial Casa Ferreirinha 2017, 75cl Douro

Time revealed the wine; altitude defined its style. Casa Ferreirinha Reserva Especial 2017 now reaches the market after 18 months of ageing in wood and almost seven years of bottle ageing. It is produced mainly from grapes from Quinta da Leda and from high-altitude plots in the Meda area, in a markedly hot and dry vintage, with temperatures around 5°C above normal. In 2017, the accelerated pace of ripening required particularly close monitoring in both the vineyards and the winery, while maintaining Casa Ferreirinha’s customary standards of precision and rigour. “2017 was a very hot year in the Douro Superior — and precisely for that reason, this wine surprised us from the very beginning. Its balance was achieved rather than given by the vintage: altitude, together with the work carried out in the vineyards and winery, made it possible to preserve freshness in an extremely challenging context. Nevertheless, the vintage left a clear mark: an expression of great delicacy and elegance. In tasting, it clearly belongs to the world of Barca-Velha; nevertheless, its architecture and the expression of the vintage pointed towards Reserva Especial,” says winemaker Luís de Sottomayor. Lourenço Charters, who has worked alongside Luís de Sottomayor and has been further developing the same winemaking approach, adds: “Technique provides the guidance, but experience makes the decision. There comes a moment when wine ceases to be a process and becomes intuition.” The blend, comprising Touriga Franca (48%), Touriga Nacional (35%), Sousão (7%), Tinto Cão (5%) and Tinta Roriz (5%), was aged for approximately 18 months in French oak barrels. At Casa Ferreirinha, tasting dictates the timing. Before its release, the wine continued to evolve in bottle under the attentive eye of the winemaking team, until it began to reveal its true character, with harmony and definition. That moment has now arrived. From this point onwards, it will continue to evolve positively in bottle. It is expected to reach its peak in 15 to 20 years and maintain its highest level of quality for decades. More than a new release, Reserva Especial 2017 reaffirms Casa Ferreirinha’s place among the world’s great wines and further establishes the Douro as one of the world’s leading wine regions.