Port Flashcards
- Describe the key steps in the production of Vintage Port.
• Grapes are hand-picked from the best vineyards in the Douro Valley in declared vintage years.
• Fermentation is short (1-2days) to extract deep color and tannin.
• Fermentation is stopped by adding grape spirit (77% abv), (aguardente) preserving natural sugars and raising alcohol to ~20%.
• The wine is aged in large oak vats or stainless steel tanks for ~2 years to retain primary fruit.
• Bottled unfiltered; designed to age in bottle for decades, developing complex tertiary aromas.
- Compare the production methods and styles of Tawny Port with Indication of Age and Vintage Port.
• Tawny with Indication of Age is oxidatively aged in small oak barrels for many years (10, 20, 30, 40), developing nutty, caramel, and dried fruit flavors.
• Vintage Port is aged briefly in large vessels (2 years), then matures reductively in bottle for decades, retaining more fruit and tannin.
• Tawny is filtered before bottling and ready to drink; Vintage is unfiltered and improves with bottle age.
• Tawny is amber-brown with a soft texture; Vintage is deep ruby with firm structure.
- Explain how human factors in the winery influence the style and quality of Vintage Port.
• Crushing: Often done by foot or robotic lagares to ensure gentle but thorough extraction.
• Fermentation: Short and intense to extract deep color and tannin.
• Fortification: after 24-48 hours fermentation, aguardente which is a 77% abv spirit is added to stop the fermentation and create sweet wine with 19-22% abv.
• Aging: 2 years in large vessels retains fruit and structure.
• Bottling: Unfiltered, allowing further development in bottle.
- Outline the key natural and human factors that influence the style and quality of Ports made in the Douro Valley.
• Natural: Warm continental climate with hot, dry summers ensures full ripening.
• Steep terraced vineyards and schist soils improve drainage and concentrate flavors.
• Human: Choice of grape varieties (e.g., Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca) and harvesting by hand.
• Use of lagares, autovinifiers, short fermentation, and precise fortification timing all affect style.
• Skill in blending and aging further influences quality.
- Explain the difference between Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port and Vintage Port.
• LBV: Made from a single vintage, aged in oak for 4–6 years, then filtered and bottled. Ready to drink when released.
• Vintage Port: Also from a single vintage, but aged only 2 years before being bottled unfiltered.
• Vintage Port needs decades of bottle aging; LBV is softer, more approachable young.
• LBV may be filtered or unfiltered; unfiltered versions resemble Vintage more closely.
- Identify three styles of Port and describe their characteristics.
• Ruby Port: Simple, deeply colored, fruity, and youthful. Aged briefly in large vessels.
• Tawny Port with Indication of Age: Amber-brown, nutty, and complex due to oxidative aging in small barrels.
• Vintage Port: Full-bodied, deeply colored, tannic when young; matures over decades with complex tertiary notes like spice and leather.
- A customer is looking for a sweet, nutty, and complex Port to enjoy after dinner. What style would you recommend and why?
• I would recommend a Tawny Port with Indication of Age, such as a 20- or 30-Year-Old Tawny.
• This style is aged oxidatively, giving it rich flavors of nuts, dried fruits, toffee, and spice.
• It is ready to drink, doesn’t need decanting, and stays fresh for weeks after opening—perfect for after dinner.
