“Papa Figos” Douro Branco 2023 – Casa Ferreirinha

The grapes to produce the “Papa Figos” Douro Branco Casa Ferreirinha were pressed and the must was then settled and racked off its gross lees. Fermentation took place at controlled temperatures between 16ºC -18ºC and lasted for around 20 days. Unoaked to preserve the bright fruit character, the wine went through careful fining and filtration before bottling. 

The grapes for Papa Figos Branco are picked from carefully selected sites in the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior at around 600 metres above sea level. The mountainous vineyards have schist soils with vines planted either in “vinha ao alto” vertical rows or on “patamares” terraces. Grapes grown at this altitude benefit from a wide diurnal temperature range, with hot days counteracted by cool nights, and the grapes undergo an ideal slow ripening process, accumulating great flavour intensity whilst retaining acidity.

The origins of Casa Ferreirinha date back to 1952 and the production of the first ever vintage of Barca-Velha. Fernando Nicolau de Almeida kick started the quality revolution in Douro still wines and Casa Ferreirinha was the first producer in the region dedicated entirely to producing still table wine, rather than Port. Named after the legendary Porto matriarch Dona Antónia Ferreira, one of the formidable widows of the world of wine, Casa Ferreirinha, pays homage to the memory of this visionary woman. Purchased by Sogrape in 1987, Casa Ferreirinha has 520 hectares of vineyard in all of the three Douro sub-regions: Baixo Corgo, Cima Corgo and Douro Superior. The staggeringly beautiful Quinta da Leda is Casa Ferreirinha’s flagship estate, located close to the border with Spain in the far east of the Douro Superior, it is the source of grapes for many of the top wines. The great Luís Sottomayor has been head winemaker since 1989 and restrains the Douro’s natural exuberance to produce wines that have a vibrant freshness allied to a wonderful texture and depth.