The Douro Valley is a ruggedly beautiful area of Portugal carved by the Douro River winding its way from the Picos de Urbió mountain range in Spain to the Atlantic Ocean via Porto. It is well known and admired for its fortified red and white wines. In 1952 Fernando Nicolau de Almeida, technical director of the Ferreira Port House, made the first modern dry red wine. His innovation was recognized in 1972 with a new appellation, Douro DOC, created for dry red wines. The 2017 vintage is a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão, and Tinta Roriz, aged 18 months on new and used French oak. Its color is a deep, rich dark ruby, aromas are of red and black fruits laced with notes of tobacco, vanilla and dried woody herbs. It is savory and rich, with concentrated plum and black cherry fruit notes laced with white pepper, supported by bright acidity and chalky tannins. It will benefit from several hours in a decanter before serving with grilled beef tenderloin.
Casa Ferreirinha, Douro DOC (Portugal) 2017
By Rebecca Murphy