Casa Ferreirinha, `Vinha Grande` Douro Branco Casa Ferreirinha, `Vinha Grande` Douro Branco

Producer

Casa Ferreirinha was the first Douro producer dedicated entirely to making table wines, rather than Port. Its origins date back to 1952 when Fernando Nicolau de Almeida produced the first evervintage of Barca-Velha and kickstarted the quality revolution in Douro table wines. Named after the legendary Dona Antónia Ferreira, one of the formidable widows of the world of wine, Casa Ferreirinha pays homage to the memory of this visionary woman. Today, the winemaking team 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.

Vineyards

The Viosinho, Arinto, Rabigato and Gouveio grapes were grown on the Quinta do Sairrão estate, which sits at 600m above sea level in the Cima Corgo region. Grapes grown at this altitude benefit from a wide diurnal temperature range, with hot days counteracted by cool nights, and the grapes undergo an ideal slow ripening process, accumulating great flavour intensity whilst retaining acidity. Soils are schistous, a dense, slate-like metamorphic rock which fractures vertically, allowing the vine roots to delve deep to access water and nutrients. The poor quality of the soil forces the vines to produce lower yields and results in wines characterised by great concentration of flavour.

Vinification

Upon arrival at the Quinta do Sairrão winery, the grapes were destemmed and gently crushed using a pneumatic press. A short pre-fermentation cold maceration on the skins was carried out to extract maximum aromatics. Fermentation at controlled temperatures took place in both stainless-steel tanks and French oak barrels. The wine did not go through malolactic fermentation. 50% of the wine was aged in 500-litre new French oak barrels for six months and 50% was kept in stainless-steel tanks, with regular lees stirring carried out on both lots. The final blend was assembled and underwent clarification and stabilisation before bottling.

Tasting notes

Bright lemon in colour with green nuances. Intense aromas of peach, citrus and orange blossom are married with a subtle minerality and a buttery richness from the oak. On the palate there is a creamy mouthfeel and a refreshing acidity that beautifully balances the intense flavours that linger on the long finish.

Details

Winemaker: Luís Sottomayor

Wine pH: 3.2

Residual Sugar: 3.2g/L

Acidity: 5.9g/L

Alcohol: 14%

Grape Varieties: Viosinho, Arinto/Pedernã, Rabigato, Gouveio (Godello)

Bottle Sizes: 75cl