Barca Velha, Casa Ferreirinha 2015

Deepest crimson with purple rim. Rich, spicy black fruit, dark and savoury like the Douro's best. Blackcurrant and blueberry sweetness. Ultra-fine tannins, so refined, elegant and incredibly well balanced for such a young Barca Velha. Powerful but so harmonious you barely feel the power. Immense length. The tannins are extremely fine and a little thicker than in the 1999. As it opens, there's more violets and more of Touriga Nacional's floral perfume. The tannins build in the mouth but they are still refined, polished – smoother at this age than they would have been in the older wines, I suspect. Head winemaker Luís Sottomayor described the 2015 as having 'The body and structure of 2011 but the freshness and elegance from 2008'. (JH) 14.5%. Drink 2030 – 2050

Every so often, well, to be precise, this is the 21st occasion in 72 years a mind-blowing red wine is released in Portugal. It is no understatement to say that Barca-Velha is a legendary creation. The 2015 vintage will arrive in the UK a couple of days after this piece is published, so you are the first to hear about its greatness. I have been fortunate to taste a number of older Barca-Velha vintages, and they age more gracefully than most top-flight red Bordeaux. Only the other day, I tasted a 1982 that was fresh, supremely complex and mind-bendingly delicious. So, on the brink of the release of the 2015 vintage, I was fortunate to taste it with the President of Sogrape (owners of Casa Ferreirinha) and winemaker Luís Sottomayor, who has worked at this illustrious estate since 1989. And what a wine! Luís explained that the conditions of the 2015 growing season were wholly responsible for this wine’s extraordinary potential. A relatively dry and warm winter and spring led to an early veraison, and then August was cooler with crisp nights, and a couple of showers refreshed the vines in September. These are the conditions that give rise to epic-quality fruit. With the depth and gravitas of the amazing 2011 vintage and the definition and freshness of the 2008, this 2015 combines all the finest attributes of my favourite Barca-Velha wines, resulting in a creation of uncommon purity, depth, and beauty. While a quiet renaissance has been happening at Ferreirinha for a decade or more, the story seems complete, with 2015 Barca-Velha gaining a perfect 20/20 score in my notes. Yes, this is the finest Portuguese red wine I have ever tasted.