Chap 44: Port Flashcards
Where are the activities of the Port industry?
Divided between the twin coastal cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia (which lie on opposite sides of the mouth of the river Douro) and the vineyard area that starts 70 kilometres upstream of these towns
How is the vineyard area for Port divided?
Into three sub-regions:
Baixo Corgo
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior
Which area of Port produces the lightest wines?
Baixo Corgo
What is the reputation of Cima Corgo?
This is where the greatest number of top vineyards are found
What is the reputation of Douro Superior?
Though sparsely planted, it is still renowned as a source of top quality wine
What is the climate in the Port area? What influences it specifically in this region?
Warm continental climate as a result of being shielded from the Atlantic by the Serra do Marão - howwever climate is not uniform
What is the coolest and wettest of the sub-regions of Port?
Baixo Corgo in the west
How does vineyard climate vary as vineyards go east/inland for Port?
They become progressively hotter and dryer
What are the biggest spring threats a grower has to face for Port?
Frost and heavy downpours, which may disrupt flowering as well as harvest
What are the viticultural difficulties for Port in summer?
Daytime temperatures can be very high and rainfall (throughout the growing season) can be very low
What makes viticulture possible for Port and why?
Schist bedrock which fractures vertically allowing the vines’ roots to access deep water reserves that are built up by the winter rains
Where are the vineyards in the Baixo and Cima Corgo?
On the very tall and very steep slopes that rise up from the banks of the Douro and its tributaries
What is the topography in the Baixo and Cima Corgo like?
Very varied
Give two examples of how growers may take advantage of the hilly topography available to them in the Cima and Baixo Corgo?
They may take advantage of altitude for its associated variability in temperature
They may use more northerly facing vineyard sites to avoid the full force of the sun
Why is topography a potential challenge for a Port producer?
Managing vineyard on such steep sites can be an enormous and costly challenge
What are socalcos?
The name for the terraces which were supported by stone walls, on which vineyards were traditionally planted in Portugal (for Port specifically)
What are the big disadvantage of socalcos?
Each terrace can only support a few rows of vines
No mechanisation is possible
The walls are expensive to maintain
Describe usage of socalcos in Portugal
Impractical but still widely used
What are patamares?
A more modern style of vine terrace in Port to allow some mechanisation
No retaining walls
Each terrace is wide enough to allow tractor access
What is vinha ao alto?
An interfaced system for Port where the angle of the slope is low
Vines are planted up and down the slope and accessed by roads cutting across the slopes from where machinery is operated by winches
What are the disadvantages to patamares and vinha ao alto?
They are both prone to erosion, particularly vinha ao alto, which is not viable on the steepest slopes
What is the general style of grapes from the Douro?
Thick skinned, high tannins with black fruits and floral aromas
What are the five grape varieties which are preferred in premium Port production?
Touriga Franca Tinta Roriz Tinta Barroca Touriga Nacional Tinta Cão
Describe fermentation of Port grapes
Fermentation stopped by fortification once alcohol reaches 5-9% abv to create a sweet wine
How long does fermentation typically last for a port wine?
24 to 48 hours
What is the challenge posed by the shorter fermentation for Port wines?
Normal extraction techniques aren’t vigorous enough to produce a wine that has the level of color and tannin expected of port.
What are the three methods of extraction used for Port wines?
Foot treading
Autovinifiers
Piston plungers and robotic lagares
Describe the view in Port production, of foot treading as an extraction method
It’s the benchmark against which all other methods are judged
How does foot treading work in Port? (describe the process)
Large teams of workers tread the grapes for three to four hours in shallow granite troughs/lagares. Once fermentation is underway, foot treading stops and then the cap is regularly punched down, to extract more color and tannin.
Why is foot treading no longer widely used?
Because it is so labour intensive
For which Ports is foot treading still sometimes used?
For some premium Ports
Describe the process of using autovinifiers for extraction with Port
Crushed grapes are put into sealed vats and the rising pressure of CO₂ given off by the fermentation pushes the juice up through the pipes into a holding tank
When CO₂ pressure reaches a set level, a valve is automatically released and the wine in the holding tank, no longer supported by the gas pressure, floods down over the cap
The valve resets itself and the process starts again
To which process is autovinification very similar?
Pumping over
Why is autovinification more extractive than pumping over?
Because when fermentation is very active, a cycle will complete every 15 to 20 minutes, so the amount of contact between the skin and the wine is much higher.
In which extraction system is pre-fermentation extraction limited? How is this overcome?
In autovinification
Autovinifiers now include mechanical paddles to help with this
What are piston plungers and robotic laggers designed to do?
Imitate foot treading as closely as possible
Describe piston plungers
Round, shallow, open-topped stainless steel vats where the cap is pressed down with robotic pistons
Describe the robotic lagar
It involves the use of a shallow and rectangular stainless steel tank of the approximate size of the traditional lagar
The lagar is adapted to carry a self-propelled gantry with robotic ‘feet’
The gantry moves up and down the lagar with the feet copying the action of foot treading by actually squishing the grapes against the floor of the tank.
Once the ‘foot treading’ phase is carried out, these machines carry out regular punch-downs once the treading phase is over
How are robotic lagars generally viewed?
As being as good as foot treading
For what kinds of Port are robotic lagars widely used?
The production of premium wines
What abv is achieved in Port once yeasts are killed by fortification?
19-22% abv
What will the timing of fortification of Port depend on?
The initial must weight and the required level of sweetness
What is the aguardente?
The Portuguese word for the spirit which is added to fermenting Port to halt fermentation and fortify it
What is the required strength of the aguardente?
No more than 77% abv
What is the result of the fact that aguardente is no more than 77%?
It means that significant amounts of spirit are needed
What is the average proportion of a bottle of Port which is spirit?
20% of the total volume
What percentage of the total volume of a bottle of fino Sherry is spirit?
Approximately 3.5%
How is maturation performed in Port?
Ports are generally transported downstream to Vila Nova de Gaia for maturation
Why is maturation performed in Vila Nova de Gaia?
The cooler coastal climate here is well suited to the slow maturation of Port wines
What has the advent of air conditioning done for maturation in Port?
It has resulted in more wine being matured in the vineyard area
In what vessels does Port maturation take place?
Both small and very large old oak vessels
Now stainless steel too
Describe the role of oak flavours in Port making
New oak flavours are not desired in Port
Which two styles of Port are a direct consequence of the type of vessel used for maturation?
Ruby styles and Tawny styles
What is the predominant character of Ruby Ports once bottled?
Primary fruit
What is the result of the intended style of Ruby Ports on how they are matured? Which other Ports does this apply to?
They are only matured for a relatively short time in very large oak vessels or stainless steel tanks, as producers want to minimize the effect of oxygen on the flavors of these wines
Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and Vintage Ports
Describe the character of Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and Vintage Ports
They will all be deeply coloured and have intense primary fruit flavours when bottles
Ruby, Reserve Ruby and some styles of LBV will be…before being bottled
Fined and filtered
Which Ports do not benefit from bottle ageing?
Ruby, Reserve Ruby and some styles of LBV
Which Ports do benefit from bottle ageing?
Some LBVs and all Vintage Ports that have not been filtered
Describe Ports after bottle maturation
Garnet colour with tertiary cooked fruit and vegetal flavours of prune, leather and wet leaves
Describe maturation of True Tawny Ports
They undergo long oxidative maturation in barrels called pipes
What determines the difference in colour between ruby styles and tawny styles of Port
The differences in maturation
Describe how true Tawny Ports change in colour with age
They turn garnet, then tawny, with only the very oldest turning fully brown
How do the flavours of true Tawny Ports change with age?
Primary fruit fades, becoming raisiny and is accompanied by flavours of walnuts, coffee, chocolate and caramel
What do true Tawny Ports require regarding extra treatment before bottling and why?
Very little extra treatment before bottling is required as they throw their deposits during wood ageing
Describe the role of bottle ageing for true Tawny Ports
They are fully developed on release and do not benefit from any further bottle ageing
Describe the role of blending for Port wines
The vast majority of Ports , even vintage styles are complex blends of different varieties grown in different sites
Blending is typically ongoing during pre-bottling maturation
What are the inexpensive types of Port?
Ruby & Tawny
What are Ruby Ports and what is their general profile?
They are blends of wines that are typically between one and three years old
They lack the concentration, complexity or tannins of more premium ruby styles
Describe Tawny Ports
They are no older than Ruby Ports and have not undergone a long period of oxidative ageing
They show a browning in common with other Tawnies
How is the colour achieved in Tawny Ports?
Number of different options to achieve this color, but the common option being use of less heavily extracted/lighter wines from the Baixo Corgo
What are the special categories of Port?
Reserve/Reserva
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
Tawny with an Indication of Age
Vintage
To which wines can ‘Reserve/Reserva’ be applied and what does it indicate?
Ruby and Tawny Ports
That they are of higher quality than the most basic expressions
How does a Port qualify for Reserva status?
Its suitability is determined by an official tasting panel
What are the ageing requirements for a Port labelled as Reserva?
A Reserve Tawny must be wood aged for a minimum of six years
What are LBV Ports?
They are Vintage Ports which have been aged for between four and six years before they are bottled
In what are LBV Ports aged?
In large oak vessels
What does the extra oak ageing of LBV wines result in?
It makes them more approachable on release compared with Vintage Ports
What is the role of fining and filtering for LBVs?
Most are fined and filtered
What is the role of ageing for LBV Ports?
Being similar in style to Reserve Ruby Ports, they are ready to drink on release and rarely benefit from extra bottle ageing
Which LBV wines can benefit from bottle ageing?
Those which are unfiltered. They are similar in style to Vintage Ports and can often benefit from bottle ageing.
What is unfiltered LBV Port’s big similarity to Vintage Port?
They form a sediment in the bottle and often need decanting before serving
Describe ageing of Tawny Port with an Indication of Age
They undergo a long period of oxidative maturation in pipes
How may Tawny with an Indication of Age be labelled? How does it qualify?
10, 20, 30 or 40 years old. To qualify it must be consistent with the characteristics typical of a wine of that age
What does the age on a Tawny Port represent?
The average age
What else must a Tawny Port with age indication state on the label? Why is this important?
The year of bottling, which is important as they lose their freshness after bottling
Describe the best Age Indicated Tawny Ports
Exceptionally complex and concentrated
What must a producer do before releasing a Vintage Port and when?
Register their intention in the second year after the harvest
When must a Vintage Port be bottled?
No later than the third year after the harvest
Describe pre-bottling processes for Vintage Port
Ageing will take place in either large oak vessels or stainless steel tanks
Wines are unfined and unfiltered
What are Vintage Ports like on release?
They are the most concentrated and tannic Ports
Describe the role of ageing for Vintage Ports
They are capable of bottle ageing for decades and throw a heavy sediment as they age
What is the significance of a Vintage Port for a producer?
It is their flagship wine
How often are Vintage Ports produced?
Three times a decade on average
What is the role of blending for Vintage Port?
They are typically a blend of the finest wines from a producer’s best vineyards
Which years can be declared by a Port producer?
This is up to the producer
Name two years in which the vast majority of producers declared a vintage for Port and one year in which their was less consensus?
Vast Majority - 2011 & 2016
Less Consensus - 2015
What is a Single Quinta Vintage Port?
The product of a single estate or quinta
What appears on the label of a Single Quinta Vintage Port?
The name of the quinta
How do vintage rules apply to producers who only own a single quinta?
They will only declare a vintage in the very greatest years
How do Vintage rules apply to producers who own several quintas?
They will use the pick of all of their quintas’ wines to make Vintage Port
In the years that are not considered good enough for a vintage to be declared, they will release their best wines as Single Quinta Vintage Ports
Describe Single Quinta Vintage Ports with regard to prestige
They are considered to be less prestigious than Vintage Port, but are still high quality
What is the role of ageing for single quinta wines?
It is quite common for a producer to age them in bottle and release them when they are ready to drink
