2021 VINHA GRANDE, Casa Ferreirinha. Douro, Portugal

From the website of their agent, Liberty Wines:
“Founded in 1952, the estate is named after the legendary Porto matriarch Dona Antónia Ferreira. She was affectionately nicknamed ‘Ferreirinha’ by her countrymen, and Casa Ferreirinha, the first producer in the region dedicated to making light wines, pays homage to her memory. Purchased by Sogrape in 1987, it has 520 hectares of vineyard in the Douro in all of its three sub-regions: Lower Corgo, Upper Corgo and Douro Superior. The winemaking is headed up by Luís Sottomayor, who restrains the Douro’s natural exuberance to produce wines that have a freshness, like Esteva and Papa Figos, allied to a lovely depth and texture, as with Vinha Grande Tinto and Quinta da Leda.”

42% Touriga Franca, 30% Touriga Nacional, 22% Tinta Roriz, 6% Tinta Barroca; matured for around 15 months in French oak barrels (no new oak).

A very polished, ‘modern’ take on red wine from Port country – has the power and intensity you would expect, but in a shiny, polished exterior.

“Deeply coloured like black cherries, almost black at the core. Here the fruit sings without being dominated by the oak, as it is to a certain extent in the Quinta da Leda 2016 and even more so in the Callabriga 2017. Spicy and vibrant with a stone-dust overlay on pure and scented blackberry fruit. The tannins are very finely textured even if they need more time still to become elegant, but there’s excellent balance here and fruity elegance. Lightly dry texture and fresh finish with a lightly savoury aftertaste. Just a touch of heat on the finish.” Julia Harding MW on jancisrobinson.com
Matthew Jukes’s write-up for our promotion in MoneyWeek magazine:
“A long term favourite of mine which I usually drink in Portugal – a regular holiday destination for the Jukes clan. We raid the supermarkets as soon as we arrive and do a tasting to determine which will be our favoured bottles for entertaining our pals during our hols. Vinha Grande is always in the mix. Made from Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Tinta Barroca, and rewarded with some time slumbering in French oak, this is a sensual Douro red and I find it is all too easy to demolish a bottle given its wonderful harmony and succulence.”