Casa Ferreirinha, Barca-Velha, Douro, Portugal 2011

Founded in 1952, with the production of the first ever vintage of Barca Velha, Casa Ferreirinha pioneered the quality revolution in Douro still wines and was the first producer in the region dedicated entirely to producing wine, rather than port. Named after the legendary Porto matriarch Dona Antónia Ferreira, Casa Ferreirinha pays homage to the memory of this visionary woman. Today, the winemaking is headed up by Luís Sottomayor, who restrains the Douro’s natural exuberance to produce wines that have a vibrant freshness allied to a lovely texture and depth.The 2008 vintage in the Douro was characterised by cooler than average temperatures throughout the growing season and produced wines of great elegance and freshness. The vintage began with a winter which saw lower levels of rain than usual and soil water reserves were replenished later in the year by showers and storms in April and May. These caused some issues with flowering and fruit set and led to a general reduction in yields. Uncharacteristically mild conditions during the summer allowed the grapes to undergo a perfectly paced slow ripening process and the harvest began at the end of August at Quinta da Leda.