Barca Velha, Casa Ferreirinha 2015

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.