Fortified Flashcards
Rancio
A tasting term to describe collection of aromas and flavours in certain wines, they vary but include leather, wood varnish and strong coffee.
The origin is not well understood but thought to stem from a combination of wood, oxygen and time
Static maturation
The term for wines of different vintages maturing seperately. At some point skilled blenders taste the wines and use experience to compile the blend. An example is solera system
Zona de Producción
The delimited, 7000ha area in which grapes can be grown in for DO Jerez-Xeres-Sherry or DO Manzanilla-Sanlucar de Barrameda
The exception to grape sourcing for Sherry
PX can be grown around Montilla, Andalusia (in the mountains above Malaga) and included in DO JXS
Pagos
Smaller delimited areas within vineyards in the Zona de Producción each thought to have different characteristics due to aspect, location and soil types
Albariza composition
Limestone, silica and clay
Barros
Another soil type in the ZdP with greater clay content
Aremas
Another soil type in the ZdP thats mostly sandy
Vara y pulgar
Replacement cane training. Used to be principal system in Sherry but now cordon trained
Aserpia
Term for digging troughs down each row on albariza soils after the growing season to collect winter rain water ensuring it penetrates the soil rather than running off the slopes.
Was very labour intensive but now done by mechanisation.
13-5EVEX
Rootstock developed by local vitcultural research station and the most successful to date. Its tolerant of limestone soils (resulting in no chlorosis) and drought
Potential alcohol, total acidity and pH levels typical at harvest for Palomino
12%, 5g/L and 3.3-3.5
Primera yema
Free run juice and lightest pressings usually destined for biologically aged wines
First classification (sherry)
After fermentation each batch of wine is tasted and sent for analysis to decide whether suitable for bio ageing (lighter body, lighter intensity) or oxi (fuller body, more intense)
Second classification
Wines marked for bio ageing are tasted and analysed.
Wines with a full layer of flor and have remained fresh are classified as potential fino/manz.
Slightly less delicate = amontillado.
More full bodied and intense = palo cortado
The 3 municipalities DO JXS maturstion can take place, and the exception.
Jerez de la Frontera
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Sanlucar de Barrameda
Together, the Zona de Crianza
The exception is Moscatel can be matured in the 2 municipalities Chipiona and Chiclana de la Frontera
Fractional blending
Solera system is a method of this. Used to maintain consistency and quality
Manzanilla pasada
Manzanilla thats undergone short oxidative ageing. Flor may have been left to die naturally by not replenishing with new wine for around 1 year.
Wines are on average 2 yrs older than Manzanilla, any older and they’d qualify for Amontillado.
Will have their own solera system
Palo Cortado definition
Must have ‘aromas similar to those of an Amontillado, but a palate more similar to that of an Olorosso, as a consequence of oxidative ageing once the initial film of flor has disappeared’
Must have sugar levels below 5g and alcohol of 17-22%
VOS
Vinum Optimum Signatum. Avg age of 20yrs +
VORS
Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum. Avg age of 30yrs +
Fino Viejo
Biologically aged wines with a minimum avg age of 7 years. Applies to all categories
Bodegas de la zona de producción
Usually large co-ops.
Press grapes and ferment must into base wine.
Often owned by a big company operating in another register, but can be independant and sell base wine.
Can sell their own wines but do not qualify for either DO.
Bodegas de Crianza y Almacenado
Ageing and storage bodegas.
AKA Almacenista.
Must be in the Zona de Crianza and tend to be small in the amount of wine they mature.
Wines must be sold to Bodegas de Crianza y Expedicción
Bodegas de Crianza y Expedicción
Ageing and shipping bodegas.
AKA shippers, the only ones permitted to export or sell either DO to market.
Must be located in zona di Crianza.
Also permitted to mature wines
Methuen Treaty
Signed in 1703 and ensured Portugese wines received lower rates of duty in England than any other country
Marquês de Pombal
Prime minister of Portugal at the time of Port vineyards being officially demarcated (1756)
Campanhia Geral da Agricultura das Vinhas do Alto Douro
AKA Real Campanhia.
Created by the Pombal.
From which all Port exports had to be bought.
Empowered to fix prices and given exclusive right to supply fortification spirit.
Mountains that offer shelter for vineyard regions of Port
Serra do Marão
Socalcos
Traditional method.
Narrow terraces supported by walls of rocks.
Allow planting densities of 6000vines/ha.
Not suitable for mechanisation, and labour required to maintain walls.
Protected by UNESCO so conversion not permitted.
Vines can be planted at lower densities to allow tractor onto terraces.
Patamares
Terraces supported by a steep earth ramp.
Permits small tractors driving up diagonal ramp.
Cheaper to implement and maintain.
Erosion and growth of weeds on ramps can be problematic.
Planting densities are low as ramps take up a lot of space, 3000-3500vines/ha.
Vinho ao Alto
Vines planted in vertical rows up slopes.
Least expensive to plant and maintain, and allows high density plantings of 5000v/ha.
Above a 40%incline machines cant be used so patamares more likely.
Water erosion and run off can be significant problem.
Currently, use is limited.
Touriga Franca
Late ripening so suitable for the warmest sites.
Tight bunches of thick skinned grapes make it relatively disease resistant.
Can be vigorous, requires summer pruning.
Contributes colour, tannin and acidity as well as juicy red and black fruits and floral notes.
Make it a popular option, is by far the most widely planted
Tinta Roriz
AKA Tempranillo.
Early ripening, best grown in cooler sites or can suffer water stress.
Contributes body and deep colour.
Capable of high yields but needs limiting or lacks concentration.
Tinta Barroca
Early ripening, best planted in cool sites (high altitudes, N aspect, Baixo or Cima Corgo).
More earthy than others.
Usually planted in very coolest sites as can lack acidity and colour tends to fade faster than T Nacional and T Franca.
Capable of producing high yields.
Touriga Nacional
Mid ripening variety with thick skins.
Produces wine with deep colour intensity and high tannin. Retains acidity and displays concentrated flavours and black fruits and floral.
Long ageing potential makes it component in age worthy wines.
Can have high vigour, managed with summer pruning.
Susceptible to coulure, risk of lowering yields and causing vine imbalance.
Tinta Amarela
Trincadeira elsewhere in Portugal.
Prone to fungal diseases due to tight bunches of grapes.
Produces full bodied wines with concentrated black fruit and spicy notes.
Approachable in youth but capable of ageing.
Tinto Cão
Low yielding, thick skinned variety resistant to fungal diseases.
Ripens late and tolerant of heat.
Produces concentrated wines with high acid and capability to age.
Sousão
Thick skinned variety.
Becoming increasingly popular for deep intensity of colour and ability to retain high acidity.
The 7 black port varieties
Touriga Franca, Tinto Roriz, Tinto Baroca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão, Sousão
The 2 white Port varieties
Malvasia Fina, Moscatel Galego Branco
Balseiros
Large oak vats that can hold 100,000L. Generally used to store Ports and keep them fresh
Pipes
600L barrels used when the style of Port desires gentle oxidation
Minimum ageing for Reserve Tawny
6 years in wood
Which ports can say ‘bottle matured’ if aged for _ years at winery?
New categories for Ports approved in 2022
50+ years for Tawny and White.
‘VVO’/’VV’/’W’ Very Very Old for wines over 80 years old, White and Tawny.
5 largest Port Producer groups that make up 80% of sales by volume.
1) Porto Cruz, owns single largest brand Gran Cruz
2) Symington Family Estate, owns Cockburns, Dows, Grahams
3) Sogrape, Portugals largest wine producer, owns Sandeman
4) Fladgate Partnership, owns Taylors, Fonseca, Croft
5) Sogevinus, owns Burmaster and Berros
The 6 recommended varieties of Madeira
SVBM, Tinta Negra and Terrantez
Tinta Negra
Most planted variety on island.
High yielding and easy to grow.
Can be featured on label since 2015 but more commonly used in wines that state a sweetness.
Used to produce wines of all sweetness.
Sercial
Known for high acidity and used in driest styles.
Late ripening, especially in cool sites it can be latest to be harvested barely above minimum potential alcohol.
Resistant to powdery mildew, susceptible to BBR and can experience poor fruit set.
Plantings are small.
Verdelho
2nd most planted V. vinifera.
High acidity but not as high as sercial.
Susceptible to BBR, downy and powdery mildew and coulure.
Boal
Umbrella term for a few varieties.
Variety grown on Madeira is Boal Cachudo (Malvasia Fina in Port).
Grows best on warm, low altitude sites on S side of island.
Susceptible to drought so requires irrigation.
Typically used for semi sweet wines.
Malvasia
Umbrella term for a no. of varieties.
Malvasia Cãndida was historically most important and still highly prized for quality.
-susceptible to powdery mildew, limiting yields and currently small plantings.
Malvasia de São Jorge is most common.
-susceptible to BBR but can produce high yields.
Terrantez
Plantings are limited. Very susceptible to powdery mildew and BBR so picked soon after it reaches 9%
Latadas
Term for pergola on Madeira
Espaldeira
Term for cordon trained, VSP trellised vines on Madeira
Levadas
Small irrigation channels on Madeira used to carry rain water from the centre of the island to vineyard areas
Estufas
Temperature controlled stainless steel vessels used in estufagem process
Adjustments that can be made to Madeira before bottling
Caramel can be added to inexpensive wines for colour.
Carbon fining can be used to strip colour.
Sweetness can be changed by adding RCGM or blending in a drier wine
Corrente
Madeiras that dont qualify for age indications.
Can be sold 2/3 years after harvest.
Stabdard blends that can be labelled with brand name of producer or stylistically eg Full Rich Madeira
Rainwater
Made in relatively light style of alcohol, body and concentration.
Usually 18%, must be medium dry.
Can only be associated with max 10 yrs.
Thought to have come from when casks awaiting shipment were left outside and rain diluted them
Frasqueira
AKA Garrafeira.
Usually flagship wine of the producers range.
The term for vintage Madeira thats been aged in wood for a minimum of 20 years.
Must be made from prescribed variety and appear on label alongside harvest and bottling date.
Tinta Negra also included since 2015.
Assessed by IVBAM.
Super premiun.
Exact style depends on variety.
Colheita
Vintage coming from single year.
Aged in wood for a minimum of 5 years.
Can be a blend or single variety.
Variety doesnt need to appear on label but harvest and bottling year does.
Assessed by IVBAM.
Emerged in 2000, relatively new but the lower ageing requirement than Frasquera makes it popular, now all P produce
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Smaller than Alexandria but greater intensity of aromas and flavours.
Tolerant of dry weather, so suited to med climate.
Susceptible to powdery mildew, BBR and mites.
Muscat of Alexandria
Bigger than Petits Grains and achieves higher sugar levels.
Tolerant of dry weather.
Susceptible to powdery mildew and BBR.
Plantings in decline as thought to produce less refined wines.
Grenache Noir
Late ripening with good drought resistance.
High yielding and can be relatively pale if not controlled.
Accumulates sugar quickly making it suitable for fortified production.
Susceptible to coulure, downy, phomopsis and BBR all reducing yields.
Other permitted varieties for VDN in Roussillon
Grenache Blanc, Macabeu and Grenache Gris
Bonbonnes
Glass demi-johns used to oxidatively age VDNs. Not quite full, left unstoppered and in the sun to speed up process.
Grenat/Rimage
Style of unaged reds.
Grenat used in Maury and Rivesaltes.
Rimage used in Banyuls.
Blanc denotes unaged white.
Tulie/Traditionel
Red wine aged oxidatively.
Tulie in Maury and Rivesaltes.
Traditionel in Banyuls
Ambré
Whites aged oxidatively
Hors d’âge
A wine aged longer than Tulié or Ambré. Can be red or white
Rancio
Denotes Rancio character, can be red or white.
Rutherglen Muscat (classification)
An average of 3-5 years.
RS of 180-240g/L.
Medium amber/tawny, pronounced aromas of raisins, figs, dates and sweet spices.
Sweet, full bodied, medium + acidity, medium alcohol and pronounced intensity.
Very good and mid priced
Classic Rutherglen Muscat
Greater levels of complexity, concentration and tertiary aromas with a deeper colour.
Avg age of 6-10 years
RS 200-280g/L
Quality and price sits below Grand and Rare
Grand Rutherglen Muscat
Even greater concentration and complexity from the blending of young and old wines.
Avg age 11-19
RS 270-400g/L
More of a nutty, treacle, liquorice character.
Sweeter and fuller bodied but with higher acidity.
Typically outstanding and can reach super premium.
Rare Rutherglen Muscat
Bottled in tiny volumes and are the pinnacle of a producers range.
Min avg age is 20yrs but in reality much higher.
RS 270-400g/L
Same as grand:
More of a nutty, treacle, liquorice character.
Sweeter and fuller bodied but with higher acidity.
Typically outstanding and can reach super premium.
