Reserva Especial, Casa Ferreirinha 2001

The 2001 Reserva Especial (Casa Ferreirinha) is made from Douro Superior grapes from different vineyards, including but not limited to Quinta da Leda. It is principally Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Touriga Franca. This opens rather earthy, gamey and funky, increasingly so with air, and a bit cedary,with notes of tobacco as well. From the nose, it often smells older than it is (despite the vintage date, this was a recent submission that I am told is still in the marketplace). I've sometimes made Bordeaux comparisons for classic Douros, and while not all of them fit that model, this is a good example of that point. Bright and refined, with a juicy and succulent finish that shows quite a bit of grip and intensity with air and an extremely graceful mid-palate, this tastes young relative to its structure, but it does have tertiary notes on the nose, along with that funk. It wakes up nicely and improves with air, turning into a rather complex, somewhat intellectual wine, but an elegant and still tasty one. The aromatics will be the biggest issue for most tasters - if you don't mind some gamey notes, you'll love this. Not everyone will, but the longer I had this open, the more I adored it. If you are looking for sweet, jammy, modern fruit bombs - look elsewhere. Drink now-2021.

This is the most recent release of Reserva Especial, a wine made in exceptional years that are not quite exceptional enough for the legendary Barca Velha. It is rich, tarry, a supreme wine, now maturing with secondary dried fruit, spice and brooding tannins. It could go for many more years.