Casa Ferreirinha Douro Barca Velha 2011 750ml

Extremely deep red with aromas and flavors that change all the time with blackberry, black raspberry, black licorice, floral and asphalt. Full-bodied with deep intensity, power and finesse. The tannins are wonderfully polished yet so much there. This is a tribute to the first great Barca Velhas of the 1960s. Drinkable, but better in three or four years.

The 2011 Barca Velha, the latest offering of this late-released wine, is a blend of 45% Touriga Franca, 35% Touriga Nacional, 10% Tinta Roriz and 10% Tinto Cão. This was aged in French oak for about 18 months. It comes in at 14.7% alcohol. The price of this tends to be set by the market (although it was around 250 euros with the producer's wine club), list prices having no resemblance to what might happen. I have heard of some retailers hitting 800 euros a bottle, which is frankly ridiculous. Still, this is very fine. With the late release, this has acquired some maturity and balance. It certainly has a far darker and warmer feel in 2011 than, say, in 2008. But it has a beautiful finish, mature flavors and tannins that balance rather than overwhelm the wine, at least with a little air. It still has a lot of tannic pop, but that is not scary anymore. I also loved the tinges of cherry and chocolate. This is impressive and very serious but hardly perfect. For a big 2011, it is well balanced, but finesse is not its key calling card. If you tasted this 2011 next to the 2008, you might wonder if it is really the same wine. So go vintage styles. Whether it is worth the money is up to you. Unfortunately, with cult wines, the discussion always winds up there. Most perform well, but it is often hard for them to justify the pricing compared to other wines that also perform well for a lot less money.

Casa Ferreirinha is home to the iconic Barca Velha – one of the greatest names to come from Portugal, as well as one of the rarest wines from the Douro. Barca Velha has a rich and enduring history, which began in 1952. As of today, only 17 editions have been released – all maintaining the extremely high standards required from each harvest.