Barros Port Colheita 2004
€ 45.00
| Producer | Barros |
| Region | Douro |
| Grapes | Tinta Amarela (25%), Tinta Barroca (25%), Tinta Roriz (25%), Touriga Franca (25%) |
| Ageing | Colheita: at least 7 years in oak casks of about 550 litres |
| Alcohol | 20%vol |
| Serving | 14-17°C Store lying down at a constant 12°C, keeps 6-8 weeks once opened |
| Scores | 92/100 Decanter |
Colheita 2004: a single-harvest tawny, aged in oak casks.
Tasting note
Bright brown with reddish hints. A complex nose where oak notes blend beautifully with spice, dried fruit and a delicate touch of fruit jam. Well structured and balanced, with firm, round tannins in an intense, velvety taste and an elegant, lingering finish.
The story
The grapes are destemmed and crushed, then undergo careful skin maceration for colour, aromas and fine tannins. Fermentation takes place in vats with regular pumping over, at 28 to 30°C, until the desired sugar level is reached. Grape spirit is then added, stopping fermentation and preserving the natural sweetness.
The vines grow on terraces cut into the steep slopes of the Douro, partly in vinha ao alto (rows running up the slope), on schist with some granite. They are traditionally trained low to the ground.
A Colheita is a high-quality tawny from a single harvest, aged for at least seven years in oak casks of around 550 litres. Colheitas make up less than 1% of annual Port production. Like a Vintage, a Colheita is only released after approval by the IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto).
Food pairing
Delicious with lightly sweet desserts such as crème brûlée, with dried fruit and as an aperitif.
The producer
Barros was founded in 1913 in Vila Nova de Gaia by Manuel de Almeida, under the name Almeida & Ca. Soon afterwards Manuel Moreira de Barros became a partner, and in 1920 the firm became Barros, Almeida & Ca. It is a Port house with an entirely Portuguese history.
Today Barros is part of the Sogevinus group, alongside Kopke, Cálem and Burmester among others. The house is best known for its Colheitas, tawnies from a single harvest.
Critics & Awards
92/100 Decanter World Wine Awards