Douro wines 251of vineyard are split between mixed plantings of old vines over seventy years old and newer
varietal planting which began in 1986. Port plays second fiddle to Douro wine and Crasto’s
consultant Australian winemaker, Dominic Morris, has the pick of the crop. A proportion is
still foot trodden in traditional lagares but most of the wines are fermented in an impressive
stainless steel winery and finished in new oak. Starting out in 1994 with just one wine, Crasto’s
range has grown to include a white wine, a Reserva based on low-yielding old vines and varietal
wines selected from among Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinto Cão
according to the year. Crasto succeeds in capturing the quintessence of Douro fruit tempered
by judicious use of French and American oak. A combination of carefully chosen grapes and
thoughtful, even-handed winemaking yields wines that are well structured and supple without
being over-extractive, hard and tannic. A pair of wines named Vinha do Ponte and Maria
Teresa are made from separate plots of eighty-year-old vines that might otherwise produce
great vintage Port. Ponte lies just above the Gouvinhas–Ferrão road and Maria Teresa faces due
east on the slope below the adega. Grapes for both wines are foot trodden for an hour in lagar
before being run off and fermented in stainless steel. Both wines are aged for a maximum of
twelve months in new French oak followed by a further six months is second year oak. Maria
Teresa tends to be the bigger of the two wines but both are outstanding, combining rich,
succulent, vibrant fruit with polish, style and finesse.
Ferreira
c/o Sogrape Vinhos SA
aldeia nova, 4430-809, avintes, Vila nova de Gaia
tel. (351) 227 850 300
http://www.sogrape.pt
When the manager of the Chelsea football team, José Mourinho, wanted to send a present
to Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, the ‘special one’ chose a bottle of 1964 Barca
Velha. Ferreira’s Barca Velha continues to be Portugal’s most famous red wine, sixty years
after it was first produced. To date only sixteen vintages of Barca Velha have been released:
1952, 1954, 1958, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1995, 1999,
2000 and 2004. Twelve of these were made by the wine’s creator, Fernando Nicolau de
Almeida (see page 244), three by José Maria Soares Franco and two by Barca Velha’s current
custodian, Luís Sottomayor. Over the years the production of Barca Velha has become
much less of a hit-and-miss affair. In 2001 the wine moved from its birthplace, Quinta
do Vale Meão, to a new purpose-built adega at Ferreira’s Quinta da Leda. Tinta Roriz has
traditionally formed the backbone of the wine, let out with smaller quantities of Touriga
Francesa, Tinta Barroca and Tinta Amarela. More Touriga Nacional has gradually entered
into the blend, lending it more power and body. Most of the grapes for Barca Velha now
come from Quinta da Leda with a small proportion sourced from higher, cooler vineyards
to balance the wine. Once they reach the winery, the grapes are de-stemmed and fermented
in stainless steel vats at around 25°C. Regular, carefully managed pumping over ensures that
extraction is controlled according to the character of the grapes and vintage. Immediately
after the vintage, the wine is transferred to a dedicated lodge at Vila Nova de Gaia where it