2.2: Sherry - Winemaking Flashcards
When are the grapes pressed?
on arrival at the winery
Is skin contact desirable? Why or why not?
- not desirable
- particularly for biologically aged wines as phenolic compounds can restrict the growth of flor yeast
From what juice will biologically aged sherries typically be made?
free run juice and the lightest pressings
What is the name for the lightest pressings?
primera yema
From what juice will Oloroso sherries typically be made?
later press fractions that are extracted using greater pressure
Why is the later press fractions better for Oloroso styles?
higher levels of phenolics in these pressings mean the flor struggles to develop
For what will the final press fractions be used?
used for other products, such as the wine used for seasoning barrels
What percentage of the juice yield do free run juice and the first pressings typically make up? What does this mean for producers who mainly make Oloroso?
- 60-75%
- may also use free run juice in these styles
What is the maximum permitted juice yield?
70 L/100kg
Why must the must be clarified?
the albariza soil is dusty, and therefore clarification is important to remove these particles from the must
How is the must clarified?
cold settling, centrifugation or flotation
How are the musts from different vineyards fermented? Why?
- common for the musts from different vineyard sites to be fermented separately
- to create many different base wines (wines before fortification and maturation) that can then be blended
What yeasts are typically used? Why?
- cultured yeasts
- beneficial for a reliable fermentation to dryness
At what temperature does fermentation occur? Why?
- 22-26°C
- beneficial for a reliable fermentation to dryness
Where do the vast majority of the aromas and flavours in Palomino-based Sherries come from?
- maturation process
What vessel is typically used for fermentation? Why? What other vessel might be used and why?
- stainless steel
- producers are not looking to enhance fruit or other flavours during the fermentation (maturation is where flavors come from)
- barrel fermentation (with old barrels): to give a fuller body
Describe the first phase of fermentation. Why is it like this?
- usually quick and vigorous
- vast majority of the sugar is fermented within the first seven days
- fermentation temperatures are not particularly cool
What happens after the first phase of fermentation? How long does this last?
- slow phase of fermentation during which the last of the sugar is fermented
- usually takes a couple of weeks
Is malolactic conversion carried out? Why or why not?
- prevented
- acidity is typically already low and buttery flavours are not wanted
How is MLC avoided? Why?
- chilling the must
- for biologically aged wines, using SO2 to prevent MLF would negatively impact the development of flor yeast
What happens after fermentation?
each batch of base wine will be tasted and sent for analysis
What is the First Classification? What does it determine?
- each batch of base wine will be tasted and sent for analysis
- decides whether the batch will be used for biological ageing or oxidative ageing
What type of wine will be used for biological aging?
lighter-bodied, less intensely flavoured wines
What type of wine will be used for oxidative aging?
fuller-bodied, more intense wines
To what will the wines for biological aging be fortified?
15-15.5% abv
Why are the wines for biological aging fortified to 15-15.5% abv?
that’s the optimum concentration of alcohol needed for flor yeast to grow
To what will the wines for oxidative aging be fortified?
17% abv
Why are the wines for oxidative aging fortified to 17% abv?
that’s the abv which flor yeast cannot survive
What liquid is used to fortified the wines? What does it add to the wines?
- 95% abv grape spirit
- does not add its own aroma and flavour characteristics to the wine
What is sobretablas?
the stage after fortification where the wines are stored before joining the solera system
Where is the wine stored during sobretablas?
may remain in tanks or be transferred to wooden barrels
What is the Second Classification? What does it determine?
- wines marked out for biological ageing at the First Classification will be tasted and analysed
- wines will be classified as either be a) Fino or Manzanilla, b) Amontillado or c) Palo Cortado
During the Second Classification, what wine will become Fino or Manzanilla?
have a full layer of flor and have remained fresh
During the Second Classification, what wine will become Amontillado?
slightly less delicate than Fino or Manzanilla wine
During the Second Classification, what wine will become Palo Cortado?
more full-bodied and intensely flavoured
What happens after the Second Classification?
wines will then enter the solera systems
Where must the maturation of wines labelled DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry take place? What is the exception?
Zona de Crianza - one of three municipalities
- Jerez de la Frontera
- El Puerto de Santa María
- Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Exception: Moscatel can also be matured in the municipalities of Chipiona and Chiclana de Frontera
Where must the maturation process for DO Manzanilla - Sanlúcar de Barrameda take place?
in the municipality of Sanlúcar de Barrameda
In what type of vessels does the maturation of Sherry take place?
old wooden vessels
How large are most vessels for Sherry aging?
600L butt
What are the vessels typically made out of?
American oak
Why is American oak typically used?
- primarily for historical reasons (American oak was brought back to Spain during the Spanish conquests)
- also has the benefit of being cheaper than French oak
Do the vessels contribute oak flavors? Why or why not?
- no
- very old
How is the architecture of many of the bodegas purposefully designed?
- to create and maintain optimum conditions during maturation without need for modern air conditioning systems
Name the 5 main architectural design elements of many bodesgas.
- thick walls
- tall buildings
- small windows
- thin blinds
- floors are often made of earth
Why are thick walls important?
help to keep temperatures constant
Why are tall buildings important?
with high ceilings meaning that warm air rises away from the rows of butts, which are only stacked three or four butts high
Why are small windows important?
- positioned high up near the roof
- orientated to allow cool, damp south westerly winds from the Atlantic to enter
- lower temperatures
- raise humidity levels
Why are thin blinds important?
to diffuse sunlight and prevent dust and insects entering
Why are earth floors important?
can be regularly wetted during the summer to help lower temperatures and increase humidity
Why are the temperature and humidity in the bodega especially important? For which type of aging is this important?
- for growth and maintenance of flor
- biological ageing
Why can’t flor be maintained throughout the year?
still some fluctuation in conditions between summer and winter
What is the Solera System?
- a method of fractional blending that is used to maintain consistency and quality year after year
- most Sherry is non-vintage
What is the criadera?
barrels of wines that make up the solera system are grouped in sections
Barrels belonging to the same criadera contain what?
wine of the same age, and of a different age to barrels in other criaderas
How are criaderas named?
according to the relative age of wine that they contain
What is the criadera of the oldest wine called?
the solera
What is the criadera of the next oldest wine called?
1st criadera
What has younger wine: 1st or 2nd criadera?
2nd criadera
How are the criaderas arranged in the winery?
each criadera’s barrels will be stacked together in an area of the bodega.
What percent of the wine from one solera system can be removed for blending and bottling each calendar year?
up to 40%
Any wine that is released and bottled for sale must be a minimum of how old?
2 years old
Describe the basic process of the solera system.
- A proportion of wine (up to 40 per cent) is taken from each barrel in the solera (oldest group of barrels).
- The same proportion of wine is taken from the barrels in the 1st criadera, blended in a tank to ensure consistency, and then used to top up the barrels in the solera. Hence the younger wines from the 1st criadera are blended with the older wines from the solera.
- The same proportion of wine is taken from the barrels in the 2nd criadera, blended in a tank, and then used to top up the barrels in the 1st criadera.
- This process is repeated for each criadera, and the barrels in the youngest criadera are topped up with wines from the sobretablas.
Why might wines be removed early from the solera system for bottling before they reach the solera?
- style
- price (expense of having wine tied up in maturation)
What blending might be done in addition to the solera system?
- wines from one solera system can also be blended with the wines of a different solera system during final blending
- some of the wine from one solera system can be fed into a different solera system for further maturation
What is biological ageing?
practice of maturing wine under a layer of flor
What is flor? Where is it found naturally?
- comprised of four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
- found on the skins of the grapes from the Jerez region (they are also present in the bodegas where the Sherry is matured)
How does flor develop in the wine?
under the correct conditions, a layer of the yeasts naturally forms on the surface of the young wine
What conditions are needed for flor to form?
- max of 15.5% abv
- no added SO2
- plentiful oxygen
- warehouse temperatures between 16-20°C
- humidity levels above 65%
What is done to ensure the Flor have plentiful oxygen?
- butts left 85-90% full
- bungs loosely inserted
What is done to ensure the Flor have plentiful oxygen?
- butts left 85-90% full
- bungs loosely inserted
What influences does the laver of flor have on the wine?
- protects the wine from oxidation (pale lemon color)
- consumes alcohol in the wine and releases acetaldehyde (flavors)
- consumes glycerol (lighter body, dryer nature)
- reduces levels of acetic acid
What affect does the acetaldehyde released by the flor have on the wine?
gives aromas that can be described as apple (often apple skin or bruised apple), hay and/or chamomile and sometimes a slightly bitter taste
Why can there be variances in the effect of flor?
- nature of the flor changes in the different areas of the region, from bodega to bodega and even over the different stages of the solera system
- can influence the amount of alcohol consumed and the amount of acetaldehyde produced
What happens to Flor over time in barrel?
- flor yeast reproduces and dies
- dead yeast cells fall to the bottom of the barrel
- autolysis takes place
What happens to the wine when the Flor goes through autolysis?
- savoury, nutty flavours
- enhances texture
What is an additional function of using the solera system for biologically aged wines?
blending younger wines into older wines:
- young wine from sobretablas are rich in nutrients for flor (alcohol, glycerol and acetic acid)
- when wine matures under flor, these compounds used up
- helps refresh the nutrient levels in older wines, keeping thick layer of flor alive (protect the wine from oxidation)
What is a benefit of removing and bottling small volumes of wine more frequently? Why is this important?
- wine should be fresher when it reaches the point of sale (rather than having bottled stock sitting in a warehouse over the course of a year)
- these wines do not improve with bottle ageing and should be consumed as fresh as possible
What happens to the color during oxidative aging?
gradually changes away from lemon to gold, amber and then brown
What happens to the alcohol during oxidative aging? Why? What does this mean for other components of the wine?
- levels of alcohol increase slightly with ageing as, in the environment of the bodega, water is generally lost from the barrel at a quicker rate than ethanol
- other components become more concentrated
Approximately what percent of volume is lost each year through evaporation?
3-5%
How does evaporation during oxidative aging compare to biological aging?
some evaporation also occurs during biological ageing, but the consumption of alcohol by flor is more significant, meaning alcohol levels decrease
What happens to glycerol levels during oxidative aging? What does this mean for the wine?
- levels rise
- fuller, rounder body
What happens to aroma and flavour compounds during oxidative aging? What does this mean for the wine?
- increase in concentration
- evolve from primary characteristics to tertiary, oxidative characteristics
- caramel, nuts
What happens to acetaldehyde during oxidative aging?
decreases slightly
What happens to acetic acid and ethyl acetate levels during oxidative aging? With what is this associated?
- increase slightly
- associated with volatile acidity
How are most sherries tartrate stabilized?
often by contact process
What happens to sherries prior to bottling?
tartrate stabilised, fined and filtered
Why is filtration is particularly necessary in biologically aged Sherries? What might happen otherwise?
- to remove flor yeast
- otherwise flor could start to develop once the bottle is opened and the wine is in contact with oxygen
What closures are used?
driven cork, cork stoppers or screw cap
Where must all sherries be packaged and sealed?
within the three Sherry towns
