Ch 44 Flashcards
How are port generically made?
___ are made by adding grape spirit to a ferment juice to create an alcoholic sweet wine
where is the Port industry located?
- the growing and fermenting of the wines are done in the Douro Valley
- then wine was taken down stream (70 KMs) to the twin cities for maturation and blending (it is cooler down stream by the Atlantic in Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia)
- advent of air-condition means that wineries can do this part in house.
Twin cities at the mouth of the Douro River
Porto (north) and Vila Nova de Gaia (south)
name the sub regions from west to east
BAIXO CORGO -lightest wines
CIMA CORGO- greatest number of top vineyards
DOURO SUPERIOR - sparsely planted, renowned top quality
over all climate?
warm continental climate, shielded from cooling rain bearing Atlantic wines by the Serra do Marao
BAIXO CORGO- coolest and wettest
-progressively hotter/ dryer further east
weather hazards
- frost in Spring and heavy downpours can disrupt flowering and harvest
- high temp in summer
- low rain during growing season –> Schist bed rock, fractures vertically allowing a water reserve hold
vineyard topography of Baixo Cargo and Cima Corgo
- vineyards are planted on very tall / steep slopes that rise up form the Douro
- noticeable temp difference from bottom to top
- some use a northerly aspect to help divert full sun
Socalcos
- vines planted on narrow terraces, supported by stone walls
- each terrace can support a few rows
- no mechanisation possible
- walls expensive to maintain
Patamares
- some mechanisation
- built w/ out retaining walls
- terrace is wide enough for tractor access
- prone to erosion
Vinha ao alto
- angle of the slop is low and unterraced
- vines are planted up and down the slope
- accessed by roads cutting across the slope
- machinery operated by winches
- prone to erosion
- not viable on the steepest slopes
vineyards designs in Douro
Socalcos (retaining walls, lack of access)
Patamares (some mech, no wall, terrace wide enough for tractor)
Vinha ao alto (some mech, vines planted down the slop)
name major grapes used in port
Touriga Franca Tinta Roriza Tinta Barroca Touriga Nacional Tinta Cao
Characteristics of port grapes
thick skinned and high in tannin with black fruit and floral aromas
Post fermentation activities
- wine is fortified when ABV reaches 5-9 %
- fermentation lasts 24-36 hours
- then preform color extraction techniques to gain color and tannin
what are color extraction method used for port wines?
1) foot treading
2) Autovinifiers
3) Piston plungers and robotic lagares
explain foot treading as a method of color extraction for port wine
- traditional method
- large teams tread through grapes for 3 to 4 hours
- Lagares= shallow granite troughs
- until fermentation is under way then use cap management
- labor intensive/ used for some premium wines
explain autovinifers as a method of color extraction for port wine
- crushed fermenting grapes are in a sealed tank
- as pressure rises, the juice pushes up through pipes into a holding tank
- at a point the pressure is released and the juice floods down over the cap
Autovinifers is like what but different in what way?
_____ process is similar to pump over
_____ process is different;
1) more contact between wine and skin
2) done when wine is fermenting (instead of after)
3) done many more times- cycle would repeat every 15 to 20 minutes
explain piston plungers and robotic lagares as a method of color extraction for port wine
-designed to imitate food treading as closely as possible
-___ are round shallow open topped, stainless steel vats where cap is pressed down with robotic pistons
Largar- shallow and rectangular stainless steel tank which is adapted to robotic “feet”
-after regular punch downs are used
Fortification of port wines
- kills the yeast –> 19-22 abv
- each producer has a particular style and timing for fortification
- depends on must weight
Aguardente
the spirit that is used can be no stronger than 77% abv
-average 20% of the total volume of a bottle of port is spirit
maturing vessel for port
old oak vessels
both small and very large
stainless steel is now used too
new oak NOT characteristic of desirable ports
producers are looking to MINIMIZE oxidation for what kind or ports?
goal is to preserve primary fruit characters, so only oak for a short period of time
- Ruby
- reserve ruby
- late bottled vintage
- vintage ports
what port gets fined and filtered?
ruby
reserve ruby
some styles of late bottle vintage
and do not benefit from bottle aging
Ruby Ports that do not get fined and filtered?
can benefit from long bottle ageing
after this period of bottle maturing, wine will have garnet color and tertiary cooked fruit and vegetable (prune, leather, wet leaves) flavors
Tawny ports; what is the result of extra maturation?
- will undergo long oxidative maturation in barrels (pipes)
- wine turns garnet, then tawny, oldest brown
- primary fruit fades, raisin-ey
- walnuts, coffee, chocolate, camel
- have a little deposits, need extra treatment before bottling
- fully developed , not benefit from further aging
describe ruby port final product profile?
blends
typically between 1 and 3 years old
-lack concentration, complexity, tannin of more premium ruby style
Tawny ports can be as young as ruby ports and still show signs of browning. This can be achieved by?
___ can show some browning by:
1) Using less extractive measures or
2) Using wines from Baixo Corgo,
3) Blending white port
4) A period of hot maturation and
5) Heavy fining or remove color
Special port categories?
Reserve/ reserva
late bottled vintage
Tawny with an indication of Age
vintage
describe a reserve/ reserva port
- labeling term that can be applied to both ruby and tawny that are higher quality than most basic expression
- a _____ tawny must be aged for a minimum of 6 years
describe a late bottle vintage port
- aged for four to six years before bottled
- vast majority are fined and filtered
- ready to drink on release
- rarely benefit from age
- similar to reserve ruby port
describe a late bottle vintage port not fined and filtered
accounts for a very small amount of port
-similar to vintage port
can benefit from bottle age
unfiltered ____ form sediment in bottle and often need decanting before serving
describe tawny with and indication of age ports
-undergo long period of oxidative maturation in pipes
-labeled= 10, 20, 30, 40 years old
to qualify, wine must be consistent in character with typical wine of that age
-state aged is average (rather than youngest)
-Best are exceptionally complex and concentrated
become winery flagship wines
Vintage ports
- producers must register their intentions to release in the second year after the harvest
- wine must be bottled no later that the 3rd year
- pre bottle ageing is either large oak vessels or stainless steel tanks
- wine is un-fined and unfiltered
- on release most concentrate and tank ports
- produced on average 3 times per decade
- 2000, 2003, 2007, 2010 declared
