Chapter 25 - Fortified Wines

Question 1

Explain Sherry

Answer 1

Fortified wine produced around Jeres de la Frontera in S.Spain
many styles, but nearly all start with dry wine from Palomino (local var)
after ferm, wine is fortified before entering a Solera.

Question 2

What is a Solera

Answer 2

a series of old oak casks containing wines of different ages

continually blended as they age, this creates consistent/complex style of mature wine

Question 3

What are the three most important styles of dry Sherry?

Answer 3

Fino - Oloroso - Amontillado

Question 4

Explain Fino Sherry. Describe it.

Answer 4

aged under a thick white layer of yeast (flor), this method is known as biological aging
base is fortified to ~15% before entering the solera
flor protects it from oxygen

pale lemon in color, aroma of apple/almonds, flavors of bread/biscuit.

Consume early, loses freshness in bottle. Chilled.

Question 5

Explain Oloroso Sherry. Describe it.

Answer 5

No flor involved in the production of Oloroso.
Dry base fortified to ~17%, flor cannot survive this level
Wine ages oxidatively, becomes brown and gains colors of dried fruits (raisins/prunes) and oxidation (walnuts/caramel)

Question 6

Explain Amontillado Sherry. Describe it.

Answer 6

Somewhere between Fino and Oloroso.
aged under flor for period before refortification to 17%, killing the flor.
Ages oxidatively for the remaining time. Deeper in color than Finos, have flavors from flor AND oxidative.
Dough AND nuts/caramel

Question 7

Explain Sweet Sherry

Answer 7

dry sherry can be sweetened but will be labeled to signify this.
Pale cream - sweetened Fino
Medium Sherry- Sweetened Amontillado
Cream Sherry - sweetened Oloroso

PX (pedro ximinez) - sweet sherry from white pedro ximinez grapes, concentrated by sun drying. fortified and aged oxidatively in solera. Almost black in color, sweet with dried fruit flavors. (often used as sweetening component in cream sherry)

Question 8

Explain Port production

Answer 8

sweet fortified wine from grapes grown in Upper Duro region of Portugal. Most ports are blends from several vintages.
All port follows same bbasic process. Rapidly extract color and tannin, often by foot treading or machine. Fermentation is then interrupted through fortification with grape spirit.
Then matured prior to blending and bottling. Maturation determines the style.

Question 9

What are the styles of Port?

Answer 9

Ruby Port - Vintage Port - Tawny Port

Question 10

Describe ruby port

Answer 10

deeply colored and fruity
after fortification, aged in large vessels; often large old oak casks but some SS tanks are used
cooked black fruit and sometimes black pepper

Question 11

What are the styles of ruby port?

Answer 11

RUBY PORT - generally sweet, simple, lower tannin than other ruby style
Reserve ruby port - use better quality wine, greater intensity. sometime matured longer to soften and integrate alc.
LBV - Late Bottle Vintage - Similar to reserve but contains wines from a single vintage

Question 12

Explain vintage port

Answer 12

made form highest quality wines from single exceptional vintage
high in tannin and has very concentrate flavors
can age for at least 20 years
color changes from ruby to garnet over time and develops dried fruit/leather/coffee
often forms thick sediment and needs decanting

Question 13

Explain Tawny style port

Answer 13

oxidative aging in small barrels create tawny color
complex notes of dried fruit and deliberate oxidation (walnut, coffee, caramel)
typically have an age indication of 10, 20, 30, 40 years.

however, inexpensive wines labelled tawny port are simple, fruity, low in tannin and pale in color.

Question 14

What region is sherry produced in?

Answer 14

Jerez de la frontera

Question 15

What is the sherry grape?

Answer 15

palomino