Final Revision - Packs 7-9 Flashcards
Increase in abv during 2nd fermentation:
1.2%-1.3%
5 methods of making sparkling wine:
Traditional method, transfer method, tank method, Asti method and carbonation
Liqueur de tirage:
Wine, sugar, yeast, yeast nutrients and clarifying agent
Typical number of atmospheres after 2nd fermentation:
5-6
What causes the throwing of yeast sediment?
Compounds released from cell breakdown
Traditional riddling:
Use remueurs and pupitres - 8 weeks!
Modern riddling:
Gyropalettes (Catalunya) - matter of days, 500 bottles at once!
Liqueur d’expédition (dosage):
Wine and sugar - determines sweetness
Transfer method saves money on:
Riddling and disgorgement
MLF and/or oak in tank method:
Generally avoided
Asti method:
Just 1 fermentation, open then sealed, reaches approx. 7% and 5/6 atmospheres then chilled again to interrupt it
Carbonation:
CO2 injected after blending
Brut nature sugar levels:
0-3 g/L
Brut sugar levels:
0-12 g/L
Demi-sec sugar levels:
32-50 g/L
Champagne crus:
44 Premiers Crus and 17 Grand Crus - apply to whole village, not individual sites
Regions of Champagne:
Vallée de la Marne, Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Côte de Sézanne and Côte des Bar
Avoiding frost in Champagne:
Planting on slopes
Most Chardonnay plantings in Champagne:
Côte des Blancs and Côte de Sézanne
Most Pinot Noir plantings in Champagne:
Montagne de Reims and Côte des Bar
Most Meunier plantings in Champagne:
Vallée de la Marne
Names of first and second presses in Champagne:
1st: la cuvée 2nd: la taille
NV Champagne ageing:
Min. 15 months’ ageing, 12 on lees
Vintage Champagne ageing:
Min. of 3 years’ ageing
Crémant:
MUST be méthode traditionnelle, min. of 9 months on lees
Crémant d’Alsace:
Muscat and Gewurz not allowed, but Chardonnay is
Sparkling Vouvray:
Usually 100% Chenin Blanc (acidity) - less biscuity, more smoky
Sparkling Saumur:
Local varieties along with Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc
Cava:
Trad., medium acidity, usually drunk young, 9 months, most made in Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
Cava grapes (rosé and white):
White: Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo. Rosé: Garnacha and Monastrell
Asti DOCG (Piemonte):
Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, distinctly grapey, peachy, floral, abv below 7%, drunk young
Prosecco DOC and Conegliano-Valdobbiadene DOCGL
C-V DOCG: Grapes must be from sites between Cartizze and Rive, Glera. Medium acidity, tank method, fermentation interruption can leave sweetness, usually drunk young.
Finer quality Sekt:
Deutscher Sekt bA
Cooler sites of Australia good for sparkling:
Tasmania, Yarra Valley and Adelaide Hills
NZ sparkling:
All areas grow for it bar Auckland, trad., sparkling SB (tank/carbonation) and blending between islands
Stipulations of Cap Classique Producers Association:
Min. 12 months’ lees ageing
Méthode Cap Classique:
9 months’ lees ageing
Cooler sites for American sparkling:
Los Carneros AVA, Anderson Valley AVA
American sparkling:
Longer lees ageing, 5 years common - acidic and concentrated
Humid, cooler wind from west in Spain:
Poniente
Hot, dry wind from east in Spain:
Levante
Albariza soil:
Chalky, stores and drains well, forms a crust to stop moisture evaporation and rectangular pits dug also
Sherry grapes:
Palomino (low acid), PX (thin skins, sun-dried easily and lots from Montilla-Moriles) and Muscat of Alexandria
Sherry fermentation temp.:
20-25 degrees C
Neutral spirit used to fortify sherry:
96%
Biological ageing:
Fortified to 15-15.5% - flor lives, sobretabla stage key
Oxidative ageing:
Fortified up to 17% - flor killed off, sobretabla stage not as key
Sweet sherry making:
Raisined juice so sweet, yeast struggles to ferment it, manages just a few % abv, fortified to 17% afterwards
Butts:
Old oak casks of 600L capacity, only 5/6 full
In the bodega:
Walls are thick and whitewashed, high ceilings, windows face the poniente, earth kept damp and some AC
Criaderas:
Wines of AVERAGE ages
Flor (feeds on, gives…):
Feeds on alcohol, nutrients and oxygen - gives CO2 and acetaldehyde (FLAVOUR)
Little or no fining and filtering:
En rama
Biological:
Fino, Manzanilla, Pale Cream
Oxidative:
Oloroso, Cream, PX
Biological and oxidative:
Medium, Amontillado
Palo Cortado:
Aromas of Amontillado with body and richness of Oloroso
Sugar content of PX:
Up to 500 g/L
Sweetening Pale Cream:
Can use RCGM
VOS and VORS:
Vinum Optimum (Rare) Signatum/Very Old (Rare) Sherry - all wines except Fino. VORS 30 yrs and VOS 20 yrs.
3 Port zones:
Baixo Corgo (coolest, lightest wines), Cima Corgo (best wines) and Douro Superior (also fine wines)
Soil in Port country:
Schist bedrock: fractures vertically, gives access to deep water reserves
3 styles of vineyard layout:
Socalcos (narrow terraces with stone wall support, no mechanisation and pricey maintenance), Patamares (no walls, road access, some mechanisation) and Vinha ao alto (no terraces, low incline, planted up to down with a winch system)
Port grapes:
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinto Cão and Tinta Barroca
Port winemaking:
Abv reaches 5-9% then fortified, fermentation lasts 24-36 hours only
Extraction methods:
Foot treading (lagares for 3-4 hrs), autovinifiers (valves), piston plungers and robotic lagares
Spirit used to fortify port:
Aguardente, must be no stronger than 77% abv
Volume of spirit in bottle (port and fino):
Port: 20% Fino: 3.5%
Port maturation:
Vila Nova de Gaia - cooler! Some Tawny ports matured in the Douro’s heat - acceleration of colour fading - OLD OAK
Ruby style ports:
Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and Vintage - oxygen contact minimised, short maturation and primary fruit highlighted
Tawny style:
Longer, oxidative maturation in pipes (barrels) - primary fruit fades, heavy deposit thrown - DEVELOPED - won’t age in bottle
RUBY:
Blends of wines 1-3 yrs old
RESERVE/A:
Min. 6 yrs wood ageing and tasted by an expert panel
LBV:
Aged 4-6 yrs, sometimes needs to be decanted
TAWNY + indication of age:
Long oxidative ageing in pipes, bottling year given as well as average age (10, 20, 30 yrs etc.)
VINTAGE (timings):
Intention registered 2nd yr post-harvest and bottle no later than 3rd
Classic characteristics of Muscat grape:
Low/medium acidity, perfume of orange blossom, rose and grape
2 styles of Fortified Muscats:
- Youthful, unaged (sweet, rarely lusicous). 2. Fully developed with extensive ageing.
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise:
Medium gold, floral and aromatic. Drying/raisining avoided to keep pure varietal fruit. Skin contact sometimes, COOL fermentation in inert vessels, spirit of 96% added
Rutherglen Muscat:
Sweet-luscious! Amber-brown. Needs ripe, healthy grapes. Some raising (with care - can damage varietal character). Grapes nearly always fermented ON SKINS. Luscious wines: fortified at 2%! LONG ageing in old oak, sometimes in warmth for colour and oxidative flavour. Aroma survives long ageing.
Black grapes of California:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah - some Rhône varieties
White grapes of California:
Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc
Zinfandel:
Tendency to ripen unevenly. Typically: red + black fruits, liquorice, dried fruit. Herbaceous if unripe.
White Zinfandel:
Early-picked Zinfandel, fruity, pale, medium-sweet, low alcohol
Best areas for Californian Pinot Noir:
Russian River Valley, Los Carneros and Santa María Valley
Californian Sauvignon Blanc:
Best from cooler, coastal regions. Fumé Blanc often oaked, but not strictly
Conditions of Napa Valley:
Morning fog and afternoon breeze brought in from south
Los Carneros AVA:
Most southerly, cool enough for Chardonnay and PN as well as trad. sparkling
Yountville, Stag’s Leap District, Oakville and Rutherford:
Warm valley floor good for Cab - Rutherford has structure and power. Merlot, Chardonnay and SB here too.
Saint Helena and Calistoga:
Further north, hotter. Cab, Syrah and Zinfandel are key.