Winemaker Notes
Its color is deep ruby. Very complex aroma, with prominent spices such as pepper, balsamic notes, cedar and tobacco box, red fruits such as ripe plum, slate and a high quality, well integrated wood. It has a vibrant acidity in the mouth, very lively, very firm tannins, notes of spices, black fruits and balsamic flavours. The finish is extremely long, of great elegance and complexity.
Blend: 43% Touriga Franca, 40% Touriga Nacional, 10% Sousão, 5% Tinto Cão, 2% Tinta Roriz
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I hate the comparison of Barca Velha with Vega Sicilia because they don't have much in common other than being historical wines in Portugal and Spain, respectively. But I must say that the 2015 Barca Velha makes me think of a modern Vega Sicilia because of the nose, which is spicy and smoky, with ripe berry fruit, notes of graphite, herbs, flowers and spices. Well, and they are both wines from the Douro/Duero River... This was produced with a blend of grapes from Quinta da Leda and other higher-altitude places in the Douro Superior and is composed of 43% Touriga Francesa, 40% Touriga Nacional, 10% Sousão, 5% Tinto Cão and 2% Tinta Roriz. 2015 was a balanced year, not cold(-ish) like 2008 and not as warm as 2011, which changes the blend between higher- and lower-altitude vineyards. It matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, close to 75% of them new. The palate is a little lighter than I expected, only medium-bodied, with abundant tannins and a dry finish.
With hundreds of red grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended red wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged resulting in a wide variety of red wine styles. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a red wine blend variety that creates a fruity and full-bodied wine would do well combined with one that is naturally high in acidity and tannins. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.
How to Serve Red Wine
A common piece of advice is to serve red wine at “room temperature,” but this suggestion is imprecise. After all, room temperature in January is likely to be quite different than in August, even considering the possible effect of central heating and air conditioning systems. The proper temperature to aim for is 55° F to 60° F for lighter-bodied reds and 60° F to 65° F for fuller-bodied wines.
How Long Does Red Wine Last?
Once opened and re-corked, a bottle stored in a cool, dark environment (like your fridge) will stay fresh and nicely drinkable for a day or two. There are products available that can extend that period by a couple of days. As for unopened bottles, optimal storage means keeping them on their sides in a moderately humid environment at about 57° F. Red wines stored in this manner will stay good – and possibly improve – for anywhere from one year to multiple decades. Assessing how long to hold on to a bottle is a complicated science. If you are planning long-term storage of your reds, seek the advice of a wine professional.
The home of Port—perhaps the most internationally acclaimed beverage—the Douro region of Portugal is one of the world’s oldest delimited wine regions, established in 1756. The vineyards of the Douro, set on the slopes surrounding the Douro River (known as the Duero in Spain), are incredibly steep, necessitating the use of terracing and thus, manual vineyard management as well as harvesting. The Douro's best sites, rare outcroppings of Cambrian schist, are reserved for vineyards that yield high quality Port.
While more than 100 indigenous varieties are approved for wine production in the Douro, there are five primary grapes that make up most Port and the region's excellent, though less known, red table wines. Touriga Nacional is the finest of these, prized for its deep color, tannins and floral aromatics. Tinta Roriz (Spain's Tempranillo) adds bright acidity and red fruit flavors. Touriga Franca shows great persistence of fruit and Tinta Barroca helps round out the blend with its supple texture. Tinta Cão, a fine but low-yielding variety, is now rarely planted but still highly valued for its ability to produce excellent, complex wines.
White wines, generally crisp, mineral-driven blends of Arinto, Viosinho, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina and an assortment of other rare but local varieties, are produced in small quantities but worth noting.
With hot summers and cool, wet winters, the Duoro has a maritime climate.