Casa Ferreirinha Barca Velha Douro 2011 750 ML

this is very fine. With the late release, this has acquired some maturity and balance. It certainly has a far darker and warmer feel in 2011 than, say, in 2008. But it has a beautiful finish, mature flavors and tannins that balance rather than overwhelm the wine, at least with a little air. It still has a lot of tannic pop, but that is not scary anymore. I also loved the tinges of cherry and chocolate. This is impressive and very serious but hardly perfect. For a big 2011, it is well balanced, but finesse is not its key calling card. \n Producer Information \n Casa Ferreirinha is the table wine operation allied to the Ferreira Port house. It is best known for making one of Portugal's most esteemed wines – the rare and iconic Barca Velha. It is located in the Douro, and was founded by Bernardo Ferreira in the 18th century. Only 18 vintages of Barca Velha have been released since the inaugural vintage in 1952. It is made from a blend of native grape varieties, including Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Tinto Cão, that are selected from vineyards at varying altitudes in the Douro Valley. Barca Velha is matured for 16 months in new French oak barrels. The finished wine is then blended from a selection of the best barrels, then bottled and aged for at least five years before release. In years when Barca Velha is not produced, Casa Ferreirinha produces Reserva Especial instead. This wine is produced with the same vinification methods and maturation time as Barca Velha – the decision on what to label the final red blend is not made until the wine has bottle matured its full five years. Only 16 vintages of Reserva Especial have been produced since 1960.