Porto Ferreira Dona Antonia Reserva White

In a tribute to Ferreirinha, the Dona Antónia range is now renewed and enhanced with a Reserva Branco to accompany the already existing Reserva Tawny. In the Douro, it has always been traditional to plant white grapes. And while the goal in the past was to have wines with little personality to eventually be blended with red wines to give them lightness and a lighter color, today the objectives are quite different. Acidity and structure that provide good aging potential to the wines, worthy of a reserve category, are the characteristics that the oenology team led by Luís Sottomayor seeks in the Douro Superior for the production of the new Dona Antónia Reserva Branco. Ferreirinha herself was a pioneer towards the Douro Superior, and records from 1852 indicate that already in the mid-19th century Dona Antónia produced white wines that serve as a legacy to this Porto Ferreira launch. Porto Ferreira Dona Antónia Reserva Branco is vinified according to the traditional Port Wine method. The harvest took place with grapes already slightly overripe. After gentle crushing with destemming, a maceration followed during the alcoholic fermentation period in which the aim was to obtain the greatest possible extraction of the constituents of the grape skins. Pump-overs were therefore established in intense programs that allow complete diffusion of quality compounds, always ensuring the integrity of the skins. During this phase, strict control of fermentation temperatures and densities was carried out to choose the ideal moment for the addition of the grape spirit necessary to stop fermentation, which depends on the grape varieties, ripeness, and desired sweetness (medium, in the case of our range of White Ports). The balance between its body and aroma was obtained through the selection of grape varieties for their characteristics and the moment of stopping fermentation that determines its residual sugar content. After the harvest, the wine remained in the Douro, undergoing the first racking during the winter in which the necessary final adjustments were made. It was transported to Vila Nova de Gaia the following spring, entering the traditional Port wine aging scheme, in 640-liter oak casks, with the Ferreira style. During this period, the wines undergo numerous rackings, analyses, and tastings, which allow monitoring of their aging and adjustments with blending. The final blend is obtained from the selection of lots that allow it to achieve the characteristics of Porto Ferreira Dona Antónia Reserva Branco. For this, wines aged between 4 and 9 years are chosen so that the same type is always obtained with an average age of 7 years. After the blend is made, it undergoes finishing operations that precede bottling.