3.3 Styles of Port Flashcards
Port is available in a diversity of styles, qualities and prices, mainly determined by the quality of the base wine and the form of maturation. Minimum amounts of ageing are often legally defined, and many of the wines in these different categories must be analysed and tasted by the ________ before being permitted to specify the wine style on the label.
Port is available in a diversity of styles, qualities and prices, mainly determined by the quality of the base wine and the form of maturation. Minimum amounts of ageing are often legally defined, and many of the wines in these different categories must be analysed and tasted by the IVDP (Instituto do Vinho do Porto) before being permitted to specify the wine style on the label.
True or false?
In Port, quality-minded producers will often start making decisions on what grapes will be used in particular styles of wine during the growing season. Once in the winery, the different parcels of grapes may be treated differently depending on the style of wine to which they are suited.
True.
For example, extraction will usually be relatively gentle on the least ripe grapes so as not to extract any under ripe tannins or flavours, and this wine is therefore best suited to less concentrated styles such as basic Tawny.
List the red styles of Port.
- Basic Ruby
- Basic Tawny
- Reserve Ruby
- Reserve Tawny
- Tawny with an Indication of Age
- Colheita
- Vintage
- Single Quinta
- Crusted
- Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
Describe Basic Ruby Port.
Basic Ruby Port is medium bodied, with medium tannin levels and often mixture of red and black fruit flavours. It is generally the product of wines that are suitable for drinking early and have not suitable ageing potential, for example, they may be fruity but without much tannin. Basic Ruby Port is usually produced using protective winemaking techniques to retain primary fruit flavours. This includes fermenting in stainless steel or concrete and ageing the wines in bulk (usually in stainless steel or concrete vessels, or sometimes large old wooden vessels) for a maximum of three years. The wine is generally a blend of more than one year and is expected to have the same consistent taste year on year. These wines are generally acceptable to good in quality and inexpensive to mid-priced. Due to limited ageing and use of cheap spirit (both of which mean that it can be made at low price points) the wines often have simple fruity flavours and can have slightly harsh alcohol.
Describe Basic Tawny Port.
These wines may show some lightness and browning of colour in common with other Tawny Ports, however this does not tend to come from long periods of oxidative ageing. These wines are often aged for no longer than Ruby Ports. They are often made by light extraction during fermentation (similar to Rosé Ports) to give them a paler colour reminiscent of an older wine. The fermenting must for Basic Tawny may be drained early, concentrating the remaining wine which can be used to add more colour and flavour to Ruby Port.
Describe both Reserve Ruby and Reserve Tawny Port.
- Reserve Ruby and Reserve Tawny are higher quality wines than basic Ruby and Tawny. Reserve Tawnies must be aged in wood for a minimum of seven years.
- There is no minimum ageing period for Reserve Ruby Ports, however they must be tasted and approved by the IVDP’s tasting panel. They tend to be more concentrated and of a higher quality and price than Basic Ruby.
Describe Tawny Port with an Indication of Age.
These Ports have been aged for long periods of time in wooden barrels. The barrels typically used are called pipes and hold 620- 640 litres. These vessels permit a controlled exposure to oxygen and over time tannins soften, alcohol becomes more integrated, and primary flavours of fruit develop into tertiary flavours from fruit development (e.g. dried fruit) and oxidation (e.g. caramel, nuts). The barrels are old and therefore do not contribute flavours of oak. Due to the long ageing period, clarification and stabilisation occurs naturally in barrel and therefore these wines tend not to need filtration before bottling.
An age of 10, 20, 30 or 40 years can be stated on the label. The age specified is not the minimum amount of time the wine must be aged. Indeed, these wines are usually blends of more than one vintage and this blend can be made up of wines that are younger and older than the age specified. Instead, the wine will be tasted by a panel within the IVDP and must be deemed to have the characteristics of a wine of that age.
Within their long ageing, the barrels need racking and topping up (due to gradual evaporation of the wine) and this makes the production of age-indicated Tawny Ports relatively expensive compared to other styles of Port. Age-indicated Tawny Ports have seen increased sales in the last few years and as stocks of these wines are decreasing, prices are rising.
In recent years, a sub-category has arisen, namely very old (non-age indicated) aged Tawny. This started with the launch of Taylor’s Scion, a Tawny Port of more than 150 years old. Some other shippers have now launched their own versions, such as Graham’s Ne Oublie (dating from 1882). Given their rarity and long maturation, these wines sell at super premium prices.
Describe Colheita Port.
Tawny Ports that are made from the grapes from one vintage are called Colheita Ports. They must be aged in small barrels for a minimum of seven years before being bottled. The label must state the vintage of the wine as well as the year the wine was bottled. The shipper could bottle part of their Colheita wine in one year (providing it is at least seven years old) and then bottle more in the
following years according to demand. The wine in barrel can be topped up with other wines or spirit to avoid ullage. Colheita Ports do not tend to be as expensive as Vintage Port, however, there are some shippers that hold small stocks of very old Colheita wines that can sell for super premium prices.
Describe red Vintage Port.
Vintage Ports are wines from one ‘declared’ vintage. Producers must register their intention to release a Vintage Port in the second year after harvest and the young wine is approved by an IVDP tasting panel. Producers usually only declare a Vintage Port in years where their grapes and young wines are of exceptional quality. There are some years where the vast majority of Port shippers will declare a vintage (e.g. 2011, 2016) whereas in other years, the decision is more mixed (e.g. 2015). As well as considering quality, producers will decide to release according to market conditions. If there are two exceptional vintages in a row (very rare) the producer must decide whether to declare both vintages, the second of which could take sales away from the first.
As well as being the product of a very good vintage, the grapes will come from high quality plots, often from the shipper’s own vineyards. Some shippers create super-premium wines from very select plots, usually of old vines; the original in this category being Quinta do Noval’s Nacional, produced from the fruit of old, un-grafted vines.
Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional are usually key components in the blend, giving colour, tannin and flavour concentration suitable for long-term ageing. The level of extraction during fermentation will also reflect this aim. Various lots (batches) of these wines are then stored in large old wooden vessels to avoid too much oxidation. The wines will be tasted over the period of the next two years to determine if a vintage can be declared and which lots may be suitable for Vintage Port. Wines that do not become Vintage Port after this period may become Single Quinta Ports, LBV, Crusted Port or even possibly a form of Tawny Port.
Vintage Ports undergo a maximum of three years in large old wooden vessels before extensive bottle ageing, although the majority are bottled during the second spring after the harvest, hence after 18-20 months in wood. The small amount of oxygen exposure during this time ensures that stability of the colour of the wine (through anthocyanin-tannin bonding) over its long ageing. The wines are bottled without fining or filtration, which results in a heavy deposit of sediment on opening and pouring.
Young Vintage Ports tend to be deep in colour and full bodied with high levels of tannins and a pronounced intensity of ripe black fruit and sometimes floral notes. As they age, they gradually develop flavours of dried fruit and the tannins and alcohol integrate. They tend to be very good to outstanding in quality, and due to this quality sell for premium and super premium prices. Given their limited time in wooden vessels and early release from the winery, these tend to be highly profitable wines for the producer.
Describe Single Quinta Port.
In years when the producer does not produce a vintage Port (e.g. the weather has not been suitable to produce grapes of sufficient quality), they may to produce a Single Quinta Port. This is a wine from one year that is made only from the grapes of one estate (quinta) that is stated on the label e.g. Taylor’s Quinta de Vargellas and Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos.
Describe Crusted Port.
This is a non-vintage Port that is aged in wood for up to two years before being bottled without fining or filtration, and hence a deposit or ‘crust’ forms in the bottle. The bottling date must appear on the label. Crusted Port can be released at any time after bottling, however, after three years of bottle age it can include the term ‘bottle matured’ on the label. These wines can be similar in style to Vintage Port and have considerable ageing potential. They are usually good to very good in quality and mid-priced to premium.
Describe LBV Port.
LBV Ports are wines from a single year and must be bottled between four and six hears after harvest. The fruit used for LBVs does not tend to be of the same quality as that for Vintage Ports (see below), and this, together with longer ageing before bottling means that they are bottled ready to drink. Before bottling the wine is usually stored in large old wooden vessels or stainless-steel vats to avoid oxidation. Many LBV Ports are filtered on bottling and therefore can be drunk without decanting being necessary. LBV Ports tend to be good to very good in quality, and usually mid-priced. They tend to have a little more intensity, body and tannin than Ruby and Ruby Reserve.
Some LBV wines are not filtered before bottling. These wines tend to be more full-bodied than filtered LBVs and benefit from bottle maturation. Many spend four to five years in wood followed by a further few years in bottle before release. They tend to say ‘unfiltered’ on the bottle to distinguish them from filtered LBVs (which is the more common category). Similar to Crusted Port, wines that have been aged for three years in bottle before release from the winery can be labelled with the term ‘bottle matured’. These wines tend to be very good quality and the highest quality wines can taste similar in style to young Vintage Ports. They are usually mid-priced.
Describe Rosé Port.
Rosé Port (also called Pink Port) was invented by Croft in the late 2000s. It is made from black grape varieties, with grapes that tend to come from the coolest areas, high altitudes or from the Baixo Corgo. The must is left to macerate for only a few hours, before draining the free run juice and clarification (some of the lightest press juice may also be used). Fermentation takes place ataround 15-16°C to retain red berry fruit aromas. The aguardente used must be as neutral as possible and of a high quality so as not to stand out given that this style has less intense flavours and usually little tannin compared to red Ports. The wines are bottled soon after the fortification and released from the winery within a year. They tend to be inexpensive to mid-priced, and colour and flavour profile depends on the producer (they range from pale salmon to almost ruby).
Describe White Port.
The varieties for White Port are often scattered within mixed vineyards and therefore will be harvested at the same time (albeit separated from the black grapes). Where vineyard parcels are planted entirely to white varieties, these may be harvested first.
White Ports are made in a range of styles, with varying degrees of sweetness and oxidation. Some White Ports are made in a fruity, unoxidized style. Muscatel tends to be one of the key grape varieties in the blend, lending aromatic fruity and floral notes. Once at the winery, the grapes are crushed, SO2 is added and maceration may last a couple of hours at chilled temperatures to limit oxidation. The must is then drained and pressed and the juice fermented off the skins at temperatures similar to those used for unfortified white wines (under 18°C) to enhance and retain fruity aromas. The wine may be stored in either stainless steel or in very large old oak casks for a short period. These White Ports are often lemon in colour, tend to be medium bodied and have flavours of stone fruits or floral notes.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are White Ports that are made in a highly oxidised style. It is typical for Malvasia to be a key part of the blend, with its subtle flavours in youth becoming honeyed and nutty with age. These wines may spend slightly longer on their skins to extract more phenolics that will support the wine during the ageing process. The wines are aged for several years in small casks (like premium Tawny Ports). These wines can be amber or even brown in colour and tend to show flavours of caramel, citrus peel, dried stone fruits and nuts.
White Ports can also be made with some slight oxidation from more limited ageing in oak. They tend to still show fresh fruit but can gain a slight nuttiness.
White Ports can qualify for the same labelling terms as Tawny Ports; they can be labelled with the term ‘Reserve’ if they have been aged in wood for a minimum of seven years. They can also be labelled with an indication of age of 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old if it is deemed to have the characteristics and taste of that age by the IVDP tasting panel. Finally, they can classify for Colheita if the wine comes from a single vintage and is aged for a minimum of seven years.
