FORTIFIED WINES Flashcards
Where is sherry produced, what is the Sherry triangle, and on which soil ?
Sherry is a demarcated area in Andalucia in the south-western corner of Spain, not far from Cádiz.
Levante= hot easterly wind
Poniente = cool westerly wind
The Sherry triangle consists of
Jerez de la Frontera
El Puerto de Santa Maria
Sanlúcar de Barrameda
Thre soil types in the Sherry region
Albariza = 60-80 chalk, very white, absorbs and hold moisture, reflects the sun. Jérez Superior
Arena soil = sandy soil, ca 10% chalk
Barros soil = more clay, and fertile than arena, ca. 10% chalk
What varietals are used in sherry production?
Palomino fino, ca 98% of total, Albariza soil
Pedro Ximenes, bledning, sweetening, coloring
Moscatel, sweetening agent, arena soil
How is Sherry produced? Explain simple steps
Harvest
Pressing
Classification of must
Fermentation
Fortification
Classifications
Blending in solera systems
What types of Sherry exists?
The finished sherry is dependent on where it has been matured
manzanilla, very dry, Sanlucar de Barrameda
fino, very dry, less than manzanilla
amontillado, dry, amber colour, matured under flor, hazelnutty
palo cortado, rare, cross of styles, expensive
oloroso, usually dry, fortified, rich, complex, oxidative floavour
Natural Sweet wines, sun-dried PX and Moscatel grapes, dried fruits
pale cream, fortified
medium cream, as pale cream, medium dry or medium sweet
cream, olorosos added sweetening and colouration
east india, brand name owned by Lustau
almanecista, stockholder in Sherry, investors that sell and buy sherry
PX, made from sun-dried PX grapes, matured for many years
VOS, very Old Sherry, average 20 years in sealed botas
VORS, Very Old and Rare Sherry, 30 years in sealed botas
En Rama, raw, not been into the solera ssytem
What is non-fortified sherry?
Where no spirit has been added after fermentation in solera system
The categroies of fino sherry:
Mazanilla
Fino
Amontillado
Palo cortado
Where is port made? On which soils?
In NE Portugal, around the upper parts of Douro river, close to the Spanish border
The Port-producing region is divided into three sub-regions:
Baixo Corgo - cooloest, wettest
Cima Corgo around Pinhao town, the best
Douro Superior, hottest, driest
slate, granite, but
schistose soils are best for port grapes
vinyerds listed A - F
What varietals are permitted in port production?
touriga nacional
tinta baroca
tinta cao
tinta rorris
touriga franca
trincadera
bastardo
white ports
arinto
donzelinio branca
gouveio
malvasia fino
rabigato
viosinho
How is port produced? Name some simple steps
handpicked sept
auto-vinificators, 36 hours fermentation, using carbondioxide release to continue extraction
repeated 10-20 min
6-8 abv, high sugar mixed with aguardente
put into pipe casks 550 litres for production
transported to port lodges in Oporto city
pipe casks when sold is 534.24litres
What port types exists?
ruby port, everyday port
reserve, premium blend
late-bottled-vintage, matured in wood for 4-6 years
crusted port, crust mean sediment, blend, 3 years bottle maturation, decanting
vintage port, only exceptional vintages, 10-40 years of bottle maturation, decant
(fx 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1992)
single quinta, made as vintage ports, but under name of their quintas
tawny, blends from several years, ready for drinking when bottled
fine old tawny, great aperitif, slightly cooled, blends of several years, caskmatured 7-8 years. Average years of port on label
colheita, tawny port matured min 7 years
white, often semi-sweet to sweet
rosé, less maseration time, less substance
What is the aging regime in port production?
Port is matured in casks (min 2 years, often 6-8 years) and then bottle matured for extensive amount of years
Where is Madeira made? How is the topography and climate
Probably longest-lived of any wine
Vulcanic island in the Atlantic Ocean
fire burnt all forest in 15th century, making it excellent for todays viticulture
What soils dominate in Madeira?
Vulkanic soil
Very fertile
What varietals are permitted in Madeira production?
Verdelho
Sercial
Malvasia
Tinta Negra Mole (85% of vines)
Boal
How is Madeira made?
harvested and pressed
skin maseration in auto-vinificators
ca 5-6% abv after 24 hours
Estufas:
Lower quality goes into in estufas (large tanks with heating coils). 45-50 C for min. 4 months, then cooling in 4 months reliplicating sailing ship voyages
Oxidative, caramel characters
Canteiro system:
higher quality wines in casks, placed on roofs for appr. 18 months, where the sun heats more gently. the casks are then moved to lower parts of the building, thereby cooling it off
Casks are never full, allowing oxidation and the “Madeira flavours” to develop
All madeiras are fortified with 96 % abv brandy from France and Spain
What styles of Madeira exist?
Vintage, matured min. 20 years
Colheitas, min 85% from single vintage, and min. 85% single grape variety
Oak min 5 years, plus 1 year in a bottle
Extra reserve, min 15 years in wood
Old Reserve, min 10. years in wood
Reserve, min 5 years in wood
Finest, 3 years usually in tanks
