252 Port anD the Douro
spends around eighteen months in new oak, formerly Portuguese, now French.
Adopting something of the philosophy of vintage Port, Barca Velha is the product of
an exceptional harvest and the wine is only released after spending seven years in bottle.
It starts out with the in-house designation of ‘Douro Especial’ and the wine is continually
reassessed before a decision is taken as to whether or not the wine should be launched
under the Barca Velha label. Since 1962, any wine that is not considered to be quite up
to Barca Velha standards is declassified as Reserva Especial, renamed Reserva Ferreirinha
in 1989. Not surprisingly the two wines share an affinity with each other, combining
open, sweet, fragrant aromas with suave tannins, often a touch of eucalyptus and dense,
concentrated, almost minty fruit. In some of the older wines a slightly sappy undertone
creeps in from Portuguese oak. After an apparent dip in quality in the 1980s, Barca Velha
returned to form in 1991 with a powerful wine which has the capacity to develop in
bottle, like earlier vintages, for twenty or thirty years. The 1966 (last tasted in 1998) is
an extraordinary wine, still upright and concentrated with a touch of tobacco box and
the long sinewy finish that has become Barca Velha’s hallmark. Reserva Ferreirinha from
years like 1980 and 1989 (nearly ‘declared’ as Barca Velha) can be almost as impressive,
showing similar build without the ‘first growth’ cachet or price.
Since Ferreira became part of Sogrape in 1987, the company has invested heavily in the
production of Douro wines. Barca Velha and Reserva Ferreirinha are complemented by a
single estate wine from Quinta da Leda; an impressively ripe, upfront, blend of Touriga
Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Amarela which is released earlier having spent a
maximum of eighteen months in French oak. I always detect cassis and an intriguing hint
of esteva (gum cistus) and menthol eucalyptus in the wine. Callabriga, named after the
hill that separates Leda from the Douro, is made in a similar style from grapes grown in
neighbouring vineyards. Vinha Grande is a full-flavoured red made from grapes grown
both in the Douro Superior and Cima Corgo and aged in casks that have previously been
used for Barca Velha, Leda and Callabriga. It is often excellent value for money. At the
bottom of the hierarchy, Esteva (named after the gum cistus which fills the Douro air
with its heady smell), is a lighter red from grapes grown at higher altitudes above Pinhão.
Easy to drink and early maturing, it is regularly voted ‘the best every-day red’ by readers
of Portugal’s consumer wine magazine, Revista de Vinhos.
Lavradores de Feitoria
Zone Industrial de Sabrosa, Lote 5, Paços, 5060 Sabrosa
tel (351) 259 937 380
http://www.lavradoresdefeitoria.pt
In an attempt to bridge the gap between small growers and large shippers in the Douro,
eighteen quintas spread over all three sub-regions of the Douro have come together to form
Lavradores de Feitoria. The central idea of the company is to pool ‘their know-how and
experiences with the aim of adding value to Douro grapes’. Lavradores de Feitoria is led
by consultant winemaker João Brito e Cunha, helped by Dirk Niepoort. Supported by a
resident tasting panel, Brito e Cunha is the arbiter behind the selection of wines, which are