Ferreira Dona Antonia Tawny Reserve Port Fortified Wine | 750 ml | Case of 6 Bottles

Product Information

Luís claims that Vintage Ports are ‘made by God, with the help of men’. If this is the case, the almighty certainly had a hand in the latest declaration: the 2018 Vintage Port was awarded a perfect 100-point score by Wine Enthusiast’s Roger Voss who described it as immensely age worthy and impressively structured, striking “a perfect balance between its powerful, spicy fruits and firm tannins”. The Late Bottled Vintage, aged in cask in the Ferreira lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia for around four years before release, is more immediately approachable.

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. The story of Ferreira is inextricably associated with one extraordinary woman. Daughter of one of the company’s founders, Dona Antónia Adelaide Ferreira was born in the country town of Régua, gateway to the wines of the Douro Valley, in 1811. Though small in stature and reserved by nature, Dona Antónia was charismatic, visionary and entrepreneurial. She created new expanses of terraced vineyards and improved the hard lives of local farming families. The local people’s affectionately called her 'A Ferreirinha'–'the little Ferreira.' When 'The Ferreirinha' died in 1896, she left behind a portfolio of great Douro estates and an immensely successful business.

So if you have a Port that qualifies as a Tawny Reserve, it also qualifies as a Reserve and can presumably be labeled as either.

So for IVDP purposes, there are two distinct categories, and i don't know whether a single port can be approved as being in both simultaneously. Place the rest of the cream and the sugar in a small saucepan and cook on the stove over a medium heat. In the 19th century, when the role of women in society was seconded, Antónia Adelaide Ferreira marks a generation and change, a business until then exclusive to men and, to a large extent, in the hands of the English. A producer can't simply decide to bottle a "reserve" or "tawny reserve" - as i understand, samples would need to be submitted to IVDP with an application for approval in a particular category (and the port would need to be specifically approved by IVDP for that particular category).

Suggested pairings

Today, after more than 250 years, Ferreira is “the Portuguese brand”, the reference in excellent quality Port and Douro Wines, a symbol of a country and a culture that it proudly dignifies.

Antónia Adelaide Ferreira immediately became a symbol of the Douro, buying countless vineyards to prevent them from falling into the hands of the English, and developing important social works in the region such as hospitals, for example. But who was this strong woman Ferreirinha? This Dona Antonia Reserva Tawny wine was produced from carefully selected bunches of Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela grape varieties. I think a "tawny reserve" has to be approved by IVDP as conforming to certain (presumably tawny?) characteristics (whereas basic tawnies, which can be as young as basic rubies, do not need to be approved). It has a beautiful red colour, with intense tawny shades that recall its slow maturation in wood. Its bouquet is intense and rich with hints of very ripe fruit (plum, apricot and marmalade) and floral notes. Complex, its spice and nutty notes derive from the evolution in oak wood, through oxidation In the mouth, it is a full-bodied and rich-flavoured wine, extremely well balanced, that combines elegance with a delicate yet persistent finish.

Ferreira Port Dona Antonia Reserva Tawny

It is vinified using the traditional Port wine method. The manually harvested grapes are gently crushed and, after partial removal of the stem, fermented with maceration, allowing the extraction of the best components of the grape skin. The entire process takes place under strict temperature and density control of the wine, allowing the producer to choose the ideal time for the addition of alcohol, essential to stop fermentation and maintain the natural sweetness of Port wine. It is a more versatile Port wine which is very good served alone or accompanying with starters or as a dessert wine. It is pairing well also with any sweets, desserts and cheeses beautifully.