1995 Casa Ferreirinha Douro Barca Velha

Community Tasting Notes (19) Avg Score: 91.9 points

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  3/31/2022 - cebo2hot wrote: 92 Points

  Frank w jim

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  3/6/2020 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points

  Typically a blend of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinto Cão and Tinta Roriz. The 1995 vintage started off rainy, followed by an otherwise dry spring except for a rainy May. The summer was very hot, resulting in an exceptionally early harvest, beginning already in mid-August. Fermented and macerated in stainless steel tanks and lagares with pigeage. Aged for about 1½ years in new French oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
  
  Deep, only very slightly translucent blackish-red color with a developed hue of dried blood. Developed, somewhat dusty and very complex nose with tertiary aromas of still perfumed dried flowers, raisins, some lifted notes of plum liqueur, light balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of pruney dark fruit and dried bilberries, sweet-and-umami hints of hoi sin and a touch of earth. The wine is dry, medium-bodied and quite tertiary on the palate, yet still retaining surprisingly lively overall feel. Developed flavors of wizened dark fruits, some beef jerky, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light autumnal notes of dried leaves and sous-bois, a hint of earth and a salty-umami touch of soy sauce. Bright, high acidity with still somewhat grippy medium tannins. The finish is lively, savory and pretty tertiary with remarkably long, layered flavors of prunes, salty soy sauce and salt-cured meat, a little bit of wizened blueberry, light autumnal notes of damp leaves, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of salty liquorice.
  
  A very classic and attractive Barca Velha, but perhaps nothing too profound this time. It seems the less-than optimal, early vintage shows in how the fruit department is starting to get rather tertiary at this point. The wine still retains impressive structure and most likely the tannins could do another decade or two of resolution, but the fruit department seems to be at its plateau of maturity. The wine is yet to start on downhill, but I can imagine it won't be going anywhere from here but down. Although the wine will keep good for some years more, I don't see point in aging this much longer. Better to drink sooner rather than later.

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  3/6/2020 - Lype Likes this wine:

  Velvety, refined and elegant, beatroot flauvors, smoked salmon, hints of salty licorice the way you occasionally get in classy wines, blueberries, great structure, very long aftertaste, apparently not the strongest vintage for this acclaimed wine but definetly a classy experience.

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  2/23/2020 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 96 Points

  Wow! Drank at a restaurant with a friend after a brief decant.
  Dark purple with no real sediment, this wine is mature and well into a prime drinking window.
  Drinking very much like a 1996 Bordeaux First Growth at this point, delivering power + finesse.
  Deep nose of black fruit & berries, Asian spice with Cassis.
  Easily 5-15 years of terrific drinking ahead for this beauty so no rush.
  If a date, this was a 35 year old Harvard MBA executive beauty who runs marathons between board meetings.
  One of my favorite wines of 2020 so far.

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  10/25/2019 - Renevin Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Presqu' orangé. Nez expressif. En bouche, belle ampleur, goût de caramel, sucre. Belle longueur.

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