Dona Antónia 10-Year-Old White Port

22.00

Founded in 1751, when the Port trade was dominated by British shippers, Ferreira is the oldest Portuguese Port house and remains the leader in the domestic market. It was under the leadership of Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira, one of the formidable widows of the world of wine, that the company became the force it is today. Luís Sottomayor is at the winemaking helm and uses grapes from prime Douro vineyard sites and Ferreira’s flagship ‘Quinta do Porto’ to produce Ports characterised by an exuberant ripeness, exceptional concentration, weight and structure, yet wonderful balance.

Today, Ferreira’s flagship vineyard is the 27-hectare Quinta do Porto. Planted in 1771 and acquired by Dona Antónia in 1863, the vineyard is located on the north bank of the Douro, downstream from the village of Pinhão and facing Sandeman’s Quinta do Seixo on the south bank. The combination of this warmer mesoclimate, due to the south/south-west exposure of the terraced vineyards, and proximity to the river, creates Ports characterised by an exuberant ripeness and exceptional concentration, alongside excellent balance. Old-vine parcels, described by winemaker Luís Sottomayor as “over retirement age”, produce low yields of intensely flavoured grapes and form the backbone of many of the top Ports in the Ferreira range. The entire Quinta is dry farmed using sustainable practices and harvesting is carried out by hand.

The Rabigato, Gouveio, Códega and Malvasia Fina grapes are sourced from prime vineyard sites in the Cima Corgo and Baixo Corgo sub-regions of the Douro. The Douro is the largest mountainous vineyard area on earth and vines are planted on steep terraces sloping down to the Douro river, many of which are supported by ancient, Unesco-world-heritage-protected dry stone walls. Given the steep gradients and the inaccessibility for machinery, vineyard operations and harvesting are carried out by hand. Soils in the Douro are composed of a dense, slate-like, metamorphic rock called schist. In the Douro, the schist fractures vertically, allowing the vine roots to delve deep to access water and nutrients to sustain them through the hot Douro summers. The poor quality of the soil means that the vines produce low yields – on average 1.5kg of grapes per vine – of intensely concentrated fruit, packed with flavour. The grapes destined for the ‘Dóna Antónia’ 10-Year-Old White Port are late harvested, further concentrating the intense flavours.

Description

Tasting Notes from Pinto Wines

Colour Yellow-amber hue with golden shades
Nose Intense and complex aromas of tropical fruit with spices arising from the long ageing in wood
Palate Full of character and elegance, with a linear acidity balancing the sweetness and carrying the intense and evolved flavours onto the lingering finish

Fact Sheet

Size 375 ml
Grape Variety Rabigato, Gouveio, Códega, Malvasia Fina
Alcohol % 20%
Style White Elegant mid-Sweet Port
Estate/Producer Casa Ferreirinha
Country Portugal
Region Douro
Vintage The ‘Dona Antónia’ 10-Year-Old White Port is a carefully crafted blend of wines between 8 to 15 years of age
Vinification late harvested grapes were destemmed and gently crushed. The skins were left in contact with the must throughout the fermentation, with multiple pump overs. This resulted in an intensely aromatic port with a rich texture on the palate. The ferment was closely monitored to determine the ideal moment to halt the fermentation by fortifying with grape spirit, leaving some of the grapes’ natural sugars. The wines remained in the Douro until the spring following the harvest when they were transported downstream to the historic Ferreira cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia for oxidative ageing in oak barrels.
Closure Natural cork
Cellaring/Ageing Potential It won’t age any further but will hold the quality if not opened

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