Port

Question 1

What are the 2 key areas in Port production?

Answer 1

• The vineyards where grapes are grown (Starting 70 km upstream from where the Douro river flows in the Atlantic)
• The 2 coastal cities where wine is matured (Porto & Vila Nova de Gaia on each side of the the mouth of the Douro river)

Question 2

The vineyards of the Douro are divided in 3 sub-regions, what are their names? location? Production?

Answer 2

From downstream to upstream:
-Baixo Corgo (producing the lightest wines)
-Cima Corgo (highest concentration of top vineyard)
-Douro Superior (sparsely planted top vineyards)

Question 3

What is the latitude and general climate of the Douro Valley?

Answer 3

Just north of the 41°N
The climate is warm continental.
Protection from cold and rain by the Serra do Marão

Question 4

What are some weather hazards in the Douro?

Answer 4

Spring frost
Occasional heavy downpours at flowering and harvest
Hot and dry summer

Question 5

What are the soils of the Douro, and how are they important?

Answer 5

Schist bedrock splitting vertically, enabling root systems to reach deep and find water reserves built up by winter rains.

Question 6

The steep slopes of the Baixo & Cima Corgo give challenging & expensive challenges to growers. What are 3 ways to manage vineyards in this area?

Answer 6

SOCALCOS: stone walls terraces (no meccanization)
PATAMARES: larger terraces without walls (some meccanization)
VINHA AO ALTO: only for less steep slopes. Rows are running up & down the hills (enabling some meccanization)

Question 7

Port wines are the result of Blends. Give 5 significant grape varieties preferred in premium Port production?

Answer 7

• Touriga Franca
• Tinta Roriz
• Tinta Barroca
• Touriga Nacional
• Tinta Cão

Question 8

What is specific in the fermentation of Port wines?

Answer 8

Fermentation only needs to reach 5 to 9% ABV therefore it is SHORT (24 to 36 hours)

Question 9

What are some ways to obtain fast & furious levels of extraction of tannins in Port wines?

Answer 9

Foot treading (traditional) during 4 hours following harvest, workers tread grapes in shallow granite Lagares.
Auto-vinifiers, piston-plungers and robotic lagares are now used.

Question 10

What was the original purpose of fortification?

Answer 10

Stabilize the wines for long distance transport

Question 11

What alcohol is used for fortification?
What’s the level of alcohol?
What is the approximate ratio of alcohol used?
What is the alcohol level of the finished wine?

Answer 11

A 77% ABV grape based spirit called AGUARDENTE
Used at at a ratio of approximately 20% (a fifth)
To obtain a finished wine of 19 to 22 % ABV

Question 12

Most Port wines spend their first winter in the Douro before being shipped (now trucked) to Port or Vila Nova de Gaila. What happens in these cities?

Answer 12

MATURATION
Even if some Tawny Ports are aged up the river (because it is warmer in the summer) most wines are matured down the river.

Question 13

In what vessels are Port wines traditionally matured?

Answer 13

Very large and old oak vessels.

Question 14

What are the 2 broad styles of Port?

Answer 14

Ruby (primary fruit character made in a reductive style)
Tawny (oxidative character)

Question 15

Give 4 styles of Ruby Port that receive little time in maturation tanks.

Answer 15

Ruby
Reserve Ruby
Late Bottled Vintage (LBV)
Vintage Ports

Question 16

What Ruby Ports are suitable for ageing and how do they involved in the bottle?

Answer 16

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) and especially Vintage Ports develop a garnet color and tertiary cooked fruit and vegetal (prune, leather, wet leaves) aromas

Question 17

In which type of vessels tawny ports receive extensive maturation time?

Answer 17

Pipes.
Exposure to tiny oxidation over a long time changes color to garnet and tawny, or brown.
The primary fruit fades becoming raisiny witth flavors of walnut, coffee, chocolate & caramel.
Deposit needs to be removed before bottling.
These wines are fully developed upon release.

Question 18

What makes some Ruby Ports CHEAP?

Answer 18

Ruby ports are blends from 1 to 3 years old, they lack the concentration, complexity or tannins of premium styles.

Question 19

What makes some Tawny Ports CHEAP?

Answer 19

Cheap Tawny are NOT older than ruby, the color and style is due to less extracted grapes from Baixo Corgo and blends with white port, maturation in the hot Douro and harsh fining & filtering to remove color.

Question 20

What is the meaning of Reserve/Reserva when applied to Ruby and Tawny Ports?

Answer 20

Higher quality than the most basic expression and must undergo official tasting before market release.
Tawny Reserva are aged 6 years in wood

Question 21

What is LBV

Answer 21

Late Bottled Vintage are aged 4 to 6 years in large oak vessels.
More approachable upon release than Vintage Ports
Can be fined and filtered or not.
Decanting is needed for unfliltered.
The best wines can benefit from bottle ageing.

Question 22

What are Tawny Ports with indication of age?

Answer 22

They underwent 10, 20, 30 or 40 years in barrels.
As blended products, this is an average indication of age. The year of bottling is on the label. They are fine and complex wines.

Question 23

What are Vintage Ports?

Answer 23

Declared in the second year after harvest. These wines must be bottled after the 3rd year.
Ageing is in very large vessels.
These wines are tannic and concentrated.
Drinkable upon release, they are suitable for aging for decades.

Question 24

What is a Single Quinta Vintage Port?

Answer 24

A vintage port coming from an single estate or QUINTA.