Key choices affecting Style, Quality and Price in Fortified Wines

Question 1

There are generally speaking two different grape variety-types used for fortified wines. Describe and give examples of these

Answer 1

Aromatic varieties:

• Wines where the variety provides the main flavors.
• E.g. Muscat (Vins Doux Naturels (VDN))

Neutral varieties:

• Wines where the aromatics are provided by the winemaking-technique / the maturation
• E.g Palomino (Sherry)

Question 2

Name the structural grape-components that is important in regard of fortified wines, and give examples of why.

Answer 2

Acidity:

High acidity; E.g. Sercial and Verdelho (For Madeira that is notoriously known for the high acidity)

Low acidity; E.g. Palomino (Even though Sherry is bonedry, acidity is actually very low)

Color:

Heavy color-grapes like Touriga Nacinoal & Sousão - tawny needs should look more matured and needs therefore less color, vintage-port needs color to tear on.

Tannin:

High tannin for long maturation e.g. Vintage Port

Lower tannin for early-consumption e.g. ruby-port

Question 3

Why and where would you harvest grapes for Fortified wines, early?

Answer 3

E.g. Palomino for sherry; potential alcohol and health of grapes are determining the harvest-date rather than 100% full-range of fruit flavors.

Question 4

Why and where would you harvest grapes for Fortified wines, late?

Answer 4

Rutherglen Muscat, Pedro Ximénez (PX) and Moscatel Sherry - Types of wine, where the residual sugar is essential.

Question 5

Why is focus on efficiency during maceration especially important in regard of fortified wines?

Answer 5

The fortifying alcohol is often added midway through the fermentation-process, therefore extraction and maceration needs to be highly effective, as the process generally can’t take longer than 2-3 days. Especially wines that are to undergo long ageing this is important.

Question 6

Is skin-contact desirable for biologically aged wines?

Answer 6

In general no - the bitter-phenolics can restrict the growth of the Flor

Question 7

When is a dry fortified wine, fortified?

Answer 7

Once fermentation is done - no residual sugar left

Question 8

When is a sweet fortified wine, fortified?

Answer 8

Fortified midway through fermentation, retaining a level of residual sugar - this is calculated to attain the wanted amount of sugar in the final product.

Question 9

What sweet wines are an exception to the phrase: “Fortified midway through fermentation”

Answer 9

Pale Cream, Medium and Cream (Sherry); Fermented dry and then adding a sweetening component (Often PX).

Question 10

What sort of spirit is used to fortify the general Fortified wine?

Answer 10

Grape spirit of 95-96%

Question 11

What wine is not fortified with 95-96% grape spirit? and what is then used?

Answer 11

Port Wine:

Must be fortified with 77% grape spirit (+/- 0,5%)
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This spirit will, because of the lower alcohol, have more flavor and aromas present, and will therefore impact the final product.
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The quality of the spirit is important, as a higher amount is needed, to reach the desired final alcohol-level.

Question 12

Give examples of short-term maturation fortified wines and why this is

Answer 12

Often wines where primary aromas are wanted
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e.g. VDNs, Ruby and Rosé Port, some white ports.
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Often stored in steel or concrete, and protected from oxygen.

Question 13

Give examples of medium-term maturation fortified wines and why this is

Answer 13

Often wines that are suppose to be matured on bottle, rather than on a vessel.
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Often stored for a few years in large oak-vessels before bottling.
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e.g. Vintage Port, LBV Port.

Question 14

What are the two different styles of long-maturation fortified wines? Give examples

Answer 14

• Oxidised ageing:

e.g. Tawny Ports, Madeiras, Rutherglen Muscat, some styles of VDNs and Sherries.
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Ageing is often carried out in small wooden vessels, to encourage the oxygen exposure.
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Many of these wines are aged in warm or heated conditions, to inhance the oxidization.
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- Biological ageing:

E.g. Fino and Manzanilla sherries
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Wines are aged under a veil of Flor, which protects the wine from oxidation, while lowering the levels of Glycerol (hence body) and contributing aromas.

Question 15

Name and briefly describe the key aims of blending

Answer 15

• Balance
  As alcohol is generally high, this needs to be will integrated to have balance
  *
  Long ageing will lose the primary fruit and freshness, and therefore younger wines can be blended in to create balance (E.g. Sherry and Rutherglen Muscat)
  
  • -Consistency
    Many fortified wines are NV and will therefore be expected to deliver same quality and style (consistency) every year.
    
    • Solera system of Sherry and to some extend Rutherglen Muscat, will make consistency in a form.
  • -Style
    Blending is an important way of influencing the style. E.g. in port, where blending different varieties, will enhance level of color, tannin and flavor concentration, and thereby give it the needed ability to age.
    
    • In sherry, blending the sweetening component, e.g. PX, is a way of creating a certain style.
    • Brands often play a big part in the world of fortified wine, and therefore a certain house-style is often wanted.
• Complexity
  Wines of different ages or styles, may be blended to gain a greater range of flavors.
  
• Volume
  In most regions vineyard-holdings are small, and therefore it is nescessary to blend grapes from a number of different producers to create volume.
  *
  A number of fortified wines are aged in small vessels, and these will often be blended to reach a certain volume.
  
• Price
  Fortified wines can reach premium and super-premium prices, but the main market is made up of mid- or inexpensive-priced wines.
  *
  Blending some older wine into a young wine, to give complexity can heighten the price.

Question 16

What sort of Fortified wines would be filtered and what sorts would not?

Answer 16

Most fortified wines will be stabilized and filtered before bottling.
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Some styles of port; Vintage, Quinta, Crusted and some LBVs are not filtered, to let the sediment evolve with the wine in the bottle.
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Some styles of Sherry labeled “En Rama” either undergo a light fining or filtration or wont be at all, these are typically more pronounced and complex than their fined and filtered counterparts.

Question 17

What does Rancio refer to?

Answer 17

Tasting-term used to describe a range of flavors.
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Typical descriptors: Leather, wood varnish and strong coffee
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The chemistry behind these aromas are not clear, but the use of wooden vessel, oxygen and time all plays a role, this much is for certain.

Question 18

What does Maderisation refer to?

Answer 18

Process where wine is heated and oxidised. The term refers to the maturation of Madeira.

Question 19

What is the alcohol-scale of Fortified wines in regard of tasting

Answer 19

Low: 15-16,4%
	* 
Medium: 16,5-18,4%
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High: 18,5% and above