It is vinified using the traditional Porto Wine method. Hand-picked grapes are softly crushed and, after partial stalk-removal, fermented with maceration allowing the best components of the grape skins to be extracted. The whole process takes place under strict control of both temperature and wine density, making it possible for the winemaker to choose the ideal moment for the addition of wine alcohol, fundamental to halt fermentation and keep Porto wine natural sweetness. That moment depends on vine varieties, stage of maturation and final sweetness levels required. The wines selected for the final blend of this reserve Porto wine stay in the Douro after the harvest and are taken to the company´s traditional Porto Wine lodges in V.N.Gaia the following Spring where they mature in oak casks. For several years the wines undergo numerous transfers, analyses and tasting that monitor the ageing of wines, preparation of blends, as well as refreshing and eventual adjustment when tasting so determines. The final blend is composed with wines from different ages and origins to achieve a consistency of style and quality typical of Porto Ferreira Dona Antónia Reserve. The selected wines usually vary between 4 and 12 years of age, achieving an average age of about 7 years.
Tasting Notes:
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.
Wine Spectator: 92 points