Casa Ferreirinha Planalto Reserva Douro Branco 2024

Lemon yellow in colour with greenish hues. On the nose, intense notes of citrus and tropical fruits stand out along with hints of orange blossom and a touch of minerality. On the palate, the wine is crisp with a lively acidity balancing the concentrated fruit flavours and a clean, fresh finish.

Each grape variety in the blend was vinified separately. Upon arrival at the Casa Ferreirinha winery in Vila Real, the grapes were destemmed, gently crushed and pressed and the must was clarified at low temperatures. This was followed by a cool fermentation at controlled temperatures between 16-18°C to retain the aromatics and freshness of the grapes. After fermentation, the wines were kept in stainless-steel tanks for around six months before the final blend was assembled and bottled.

The 2024 vintage in the Douro was deemed a “fantastic year” by Luís Sottomayor, with the wines showing excellent acidity and “great quality, higher than 2011” – 2011 being a notable Barca-Velha declaration year. A rainy winter and early spring with higher-than-average temperatures left good water reserves but required careful management of canopy cover and fungal diseases. Summer saw mild temperatures, with a couple of very hot days in late July and early August (reaching up to 44°C). This was followed by stable conditions: sunny days (below 30°C) and cool nights (below 15°C) through August and September, which encouraged slow and excellent ripening. The harvest ran from 28th August to 19th October with rain and more unsettled conditions and rain arriving from late September.