Casa Ferreirinha 'Vinha Grande' Douro Branco

• Vintage: 2021
• Origin: Douro, Portugal
  
• Varietal Blend: ≈ 45% Viosinho, ≈ 30% Arinto/Pedernã, ≈10% Gouveio (Verdelho)
• Taste Guide: Bright lemon in colour with golden nuances. Intense aromas of melon, apricot, 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 beautifully balances the intense flavours that linger on the long dry (but not too dry) finish. If you like a Chardonnay we think you will like this a lot!
• Food Match: Perfect pairing with grilled fish, roasted chicken, or creamy pasta dishes.
• Vegan & Vegetarian Friendly

• 75cl - 13% - Natural Cork Opening
• Superb score and one of the best vintages according to Vivino.com
• £16-17 at other UK merchants (checked June ‘25)… just £9.99 here!

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 ever vintage of Barca-Velha and kickstarted the quality revolution in Douro table wines. The Casa Ferreirinha was a very small brand when it was established by Bernardo Ferreirinha during the 18th century. However, today, it is one of the most established wine names in Portugal with one of the most iconic wines to its credit.

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.

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 seven months and 50% was kept in stainless-steel tanks. Regular lees stirring was carried out during the six months following fermentation on both the barrel-aged component and the component kept in tank.