Inky dark purple colour. Pure and ripe nose displaying cassis, dark cherry, prune, dry spices and tobacco with floral notes. The palate combines structure and freshness, ripe dark fruit with cassis, cherry, ripe tannin and a long finish. Producer Information 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. In the late 1970s Ferreira purchased Quinta da Leda, located in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, along with its 76 hectares of vineyards, which have become the main source of fruit for Barca Velha and Reserva Especial, as well as Casa Ferreirinha's premium wines including Quinta da Leda and Callabriga. Since 1987, the estate has been owned by Sogrape Vinhos. This is a huge family-owned wine company with a portfolio of around 16 Portuguese wine brands.
