Exam Run Through Flashcards
Suitability for bottle aging
• Bottle aged: Suitable for bottle aging
• Oxidatively aged: never suitable for aging - it is fully developed
• Biologically aged: not suitable for bottle aging - will deteriorate
• Youthful: meant to be drunk youn
Potential Alcohol
• Sherry: usually picked at 12% abv (palomino)
• Port: Picked at optimum ripeness for style
• Madeira: minimum potential alcohol 9% abv - usually picked at 11% abv
• Vin Doux Naturels: minimum potential Alcohol 14.8% abv
• Rutherglen Muscat: not unusual for grapes to reach 20% ab
Yields
• Sherry: max 80hL/ha - usually 60-70hL/ha
• Port: Maximum 55hL/ha - usually around 30hL/ha
• Madeira: max yields vary but yields of 150hL/ha
• Vin Doux Naturels: maximum is generally 30hL/ha
• Rutherglen Muscat: no yield mentioned
Sherry Grapes
Palamino
Moscatel
Pedro Ximénez
Palomino
mid to late ripening
neutral
loses acidity quickly
well suited to dry summer weather
Moscatel
Muscat of Alexandria
late ripening
sandy soils
tolerant of heat and drought
aromatic - blossom/ grape
Pedro Ximénez
neutral
small thick skinned
accumulated high levels of sugar
Port Grapes
Touriga Franca
Touriga Nacional
Tinta Roriz
Tinta Barroca
Tinta Amarela
Tinta Cao
Sousao
Malvasia Fina
Moscatel Galego Branco
Touriga Franca
late ripening
tight bunches of thick skinned grapes
fungal resistant
adds color, tannin, acidity, and juicy red/black fruit
Tinta Roriz
Tempranillo in Spain
early ripening
can suffer water stress in warm areas
adds body and deep color
high yields but needs to be limited for concentration
Touriga Nacional
mid ripening thick skinned
add color and tannins
retains acidity well
concentrated black fruit and florals
aging potenial
vegetative vigor
susceptible to coulure
Tinta Barroca
early ripening
prone to heat damage - shriveling
earthy flavors
colour fades
Tinta Amarela
prone to fungal diseases
tight bunches
concentrated black fruits and spicy notes
full bodied, approachable in youth but capable of aging
Tinta Cao
low yielding
small thick skinned grapes
resistant to fungal disease
late ripening
very tolerant of heat
Sousao
thick skinned
deep color
able to retain high acidity
Malvasia Fina
Boal in Madeira
neutral
medium acidity
fully body
honey charecteristics
Moscatel Galego Branco
aromatic
Muscat a Petits Grains
usually unaged
Madeira Grapes
Tinta Negra
Sercial
Verdelho
Boal
Malvasia
Terrantez
Tinta Negra
most planted
high yielding
easy to grow
produces wine of all sweetness levels
Sercial
high acidity
produces driest styles
late ripening
resistant to powdery milder
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot
plantings are small
Verdelho
high acidity - but lower than Sercial
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot, coulure, downy and powdery mildew
Boal
Malvasia Fina in Port
umbrella term - Boal Cachudo in Madeira
susceptible to drought
semi sweet wines
Malvasia
Umbrella term - historically Malvasia Candida
Malvasia de Sao Jorge most common now
high yields
susceptible to botrytis bunch rot
Terrantez
limited plantings
susceptible to powdery mildew and botrytis bunch rot
picked as soon as it reaches 9%abv potential alcohol
VND Grapes
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat of Alexandria
Grenache
Rutherglen Muscat grape
Muscat a Petit Grains Rouges - Rutherglen Brown Muscat
red skinned mutation
grapey floral aromas
Climate Sherry
hot mediterranean - hot dry summers, mild relatively rainy winters
low latitude 36 degrees low altitude 0-90M
Poniente and Levante
Atlantic Ocean
Climate Port
Warm Continental Climate
40 degrees in the summer, freezing in the winter
sheltered by the serra do Marao
Climate Madeira
warm summers , mild winters
mountainous - up to 1800 M with a range of micro climates
north and center considerably cooler and wetter
Climate Vin Doux Naturels
mediterranean
Roussillon is the warmest - Tramontane
Climate Rutherglen Muscat
Continental Climate
warm days moderated by cool air flowing down from the Victorian Alps
warm days in growing season, and long dry autumns
Sizes and Location
Sherry: Andalusia: 7142 ha planted 2020
Port: Douro: 250,000 ha, 43,000 ha planted 32,000 ha registered for DO Porto
Madeira: Madeira Island 74,000 ha, 450 ha planted
Vin Doux Naturels: Langedoc, Rhone, Roussillon - no info on size
Rutherglen Muscat: Victoria, 70 ha planted
Governing Bodies
Sherry: Consejo Regulador - 1933
Port:
Instituto do Vinho Porto/ Casa Douro -1933/1932
replaced by Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro -2003 (IVPD)
Madeira:
Insitudo do Vinho da Madeira -1979
Replaced by Instituto dos Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato -2006 (IVBAM)
Vin Doux Naturels: Governed by AOC system
Rutherglen Muscat: Muscat of Rutherglen Network -1995
Soils
Sherry:
Albariza - Limestone, Silica, Clay
Barros - greater clay content
Arenas - sandy
Port:
Stony, shallow, free draining soils, poor in nutrients - limits vigor
bedrock of schist - splits vertically
Madeira: Volcanic, high in nutrients
Vin Doux Naturels:
Maury AOC: Pyrenees foothills, dark colored schist soils - aid ripening
Banyuls AOC: Steep terraced schist slopes
Rutherglen Muscat: no info
Vine Training
Sherry:
traditionally replacement cane pruning “vara y pulgar”
now single/double cordoned trained, spur pruned, VSP for mechanization
Port:
cordoned trained, spur pruned or head trained, cane pruned and VSP
Madeira:
Pergola “latadas” or cordon trained VSP “espaldeira”
Vin Doux Naturels: no info
Rutherglen Muscat: Double cordons with the canopy over a single trellis wire or VSP
Roussillon Label Terms
Grenat/Rimage: unaged red VDNs - Grenat in Maury and Rivesaltes, Rimage in Banyuls
Tuilé/ Traditionnel: Oxidatively aged red VDNs - Tuilé in Maury/ Rivesaltes, Traditionnel in Banyuls
Ambré: white oxidatively aged VDN
Hors d’âge: red or white, matured oxidatively longer than tuilé or ambré
Rancio: red or white with rancio character
Fermentation Temperature
Sherry: 22-26°C
Port:
* Red Port : 28-32 °C
* White Port: 17-22°C
* * unaged: 17-18°C
* * oxidized: 20-22°C
* Rosé Port: 15-16°C
Madeira: n/a
Vin Doux Naturels
* White: 15°C
* Red: 28°C
Rutherglen Muscat: n/a
Sherry MAturation
old wood vessels - 600 L butt most common
Solera Systems in Bodegas
low temps with high humidity
Biological
4 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae - Flor
No SO2, plenty of 02, barrels filled 85-90%
16-20°C and 65% humidity
Oxidative
evaporation - 3-5% volume lost each year
concentrates the alcohol, acidity, sugar and increase in glycerol
VOR/ VORS: 20/30 years - analysed by Consejo Regulador to confirm age
Port Maturation
Vila de Nova de Gaia (after first winter in the Douro)
* Atlantic influence- cool constant temperatures
* has become touristy - many producers are building temp controlled warehouses in Douro
most styles in old oak
sizes vary based on styles
* Balseiros: 100,000L vats - keeps fresh
* Pipes: 600L - gentle oxidation
racking to remove lees (potential off flavors)
* frequency = determines amount of oxidation
Port Style Aging Requirements
Basic Ruby Port - max 3 years
Basic Tawny Port - average age 3 years
Reserve Ruby - no aging min/max
Reserve Tawny - min 6 years in wood
Colheita Port - min 7 years in small barrels
Vintage Port - max 3 years in large, old, wood vessels
Crusted - max 2 years in wood
LBV - must be bottled 4-6 years after harvest
White Tawny Reserve - min 7 years in wood
Madeira Maturation
**Estufagem **
Estufas: Temperature controlled stainless steel vessels
heated to 45-50°C - heating coil or water jacket
must stay in for minimum 3 months - IVBAM seals and opens
cooled, filtered, left to rest for 6-12 months
usually 3-5 year old Tinta Negra
**Canteiro **
Old oak vessels (400-700L)
25-40°C - warm loft or warehouse
evaporation occurs - alcohol increases 19-20% abv and concentrates flavor and acidity
rarely racked, but regularly topped up
IVBAM seals and unseals
cannot be sold until 3 years after the 1st January following harvest
Corrente: 2-3 years
Non vintage products labelled 5,10,20,30,40,50, and older than 50- these are indicate fo style - tasted by the IVBAM tasting panel
Rainwater: maximum aged indication 10 years
Frasqueira: Min 20 years in wood
Colheita: Min 5 years in wood
Vin Doux Naturels Maturation
Youthful
stainless steel, cool constant temperature
released a few months after fermentation
Oxidative
old oak barrels - typically not topped up
demi-johns (bonbonnes) - not full, unstoppered, left in the sun to speed up aging
Banyuls Grand Cru
min 30 month aging
Rutherglen Muscat Maturation
Mature in old ok in warm conditions
warehouse with tin roofs
position with the warehouse matters
higher temperature = faster maturation
large vessels 1,300 -9000 L, Smaller 180-500 L
Frequency of topping up determines style
some use a modified solera system
Rutherglen Muscat: 3-5 years
Classic RM: 6-10 years
Grand RM: 11-19 years
Rare RM: 20 years or more
These are average ages and classified on taste - though age is a major factor
Timing of Fortification: Sherry
Dry sherry: fortified after first classification - either 15-15.5% for bio or 17% for oxidative
Naturally Sweet Sherry: ferm will naturally stop at 4-6% avb due to high sugar content - fortified to 15-16% abv
Timing of Fortification: Madeira
timing of fortification is determined by the style - usually 17-18%
Timing of Fortification: Port
Fortified at 5-7% abv - typically to 19-22% abv (basic ruby, tawny, rose and white 18%)
Timing of Fortification: Vin Doux Naturels
fortified at 5-8% abv to 15-18% abv
Timing of Fortification: Rutherglen Muscat
fortified at 1-2% abv to 17.5% abv
