Port Flashcards
Describe the soil of the Port region
- Schistose soil with some Granite round the edges
- Mixture of Clay and broken Schist
- Medium Nutrients and can retain some humidity
- Pre Cambrian Schist turned vertical allows vine roots to travel deep down through cracks to water table below
- Acidic soil pH 4.6~5.5
Summarise the crushing and fermentation process (incl Portuguese names) up until Brandy is added
i ‘Corte’ (Cut) Crushing of grapes - 2~3 hours manual or mech
ii Indigenous yeasts kick in
iii ‘Liberdade’ (Liberty) = Fermentation starts, heat (28~30c) and alc releases Colour, Tannin and Aromas.
iv Mech continues or if manual ‘Macacos’ (long wooden plungers) used to keep cap submerged by Punch Down
How is Rose Port matured?
Briefly in Stainless steel
How many black grapes are approved for Port production?
What are the 5 most important grapes and what % of production do they total?
Around 30 varieties approved 2% Touriga Nacional 20% Touriga Franca 16% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo 12% Tinta Barroca ??% Tinta Cao
Tinta Cao
One of oldest varieties in the Douro
Good in Hot Dry conditions
Small bunches of grapes = lo yields
Crisp acidity, Velvety tannins, potential to age
What grape varieties are most commonly used to make white port
Simply describe them
Malvasia - Elegant, Nutmeg, Smoke
Rabigato - Quite heat resistant, Acidity, Aromatics
Viosinho - Hi quality, Lo yield, Hi Acid, Fruity
Gouveio - Early ripen, Peach, Citrus
Main Port Markets 2017?
Value
Portugal 19.4%
France 19.2%
UK 13.2%
Netherlands 11.1%
What is the Beneficio?
Beneficio ou Aguardentação - The adding of grape brandy to fermenting wine
Beneficio - Total amount of Port that can be made in a single year managed by dictating how much Aguardente each grower can buy
1947 - Moreira de Fonseca - Pontuation System - Vineyards A~F
Based on grading and ha = how much Aguardente can be purchased each year
Describe Baixo Corgo Location Centered on Total vineyard area and vine plantings % contribution to Port prodn Climate Port grapes produced
Starting 80km East of the Atlantic coast
The most Westerly and original Port region
Centered on Regua
45k ha total area / 15k ha under vine / 13k ha Port vines
Approx 50% of total Port production
Wettest and coolest Port region av 900mm rain annually
Mainly lighter, less intensely flavoured grapes for ‘Fine’ Ruby and Tawny
Are Port grapes varieties normally fermented separately or together?
Normally together in a ‘Field’ blend
Trade organisations AEVP AVEPOD UniDouro ANCEVE Casa do Douro IVDP
AEVP - Represents larger producers
AVEPOD - Represents smaller producers
UniDouro - Represents co-op sector
ANCEVE - Represents producers and exporters
Casa do Douro - Represents growers. Intermediary between growers and shippers
IVDP - Overall control of production and promotion of Port.
Own the Beneficio system
Port sales VOLUME 2017
Split Standard / Premium
75.1 m litres
Standard 77%
Premium 23%
Port grape farming How many farmers grow Port grapes? How many vineyard plots? Av size of a vineyard plot? But ........? Where are bigger vineyards more commonly found?
>21k Port grape farmers >114k individual vineyard plots Av vineyard plot size 2.0ha BUT many <0.5ha Larger vineyards can be found in Douro Superior
How is White Port Matured?
What is Sweet white Port called?
2~3 yrs in Oak vats
Lagrima
Fine Tawny
Basic Tawny
Often a blend of Young Ruby and White Ports
Aged Large Oak vats 2~3 yrs
Vanilla, Orange, Rich fruits
Ruby Port
Aged 2~3 yrs S. Steel or large Oak vats
Filtered
Rich, full body, red fruits
Colheita
Single vintage Tawny Port
As with Vintage Port Colheitas only “declared” after approval by the I.V.D.P.
Min 7 yrs in ‘Pipes’ but in reality up to 50 yrs
Some Colheitas from the 1800’s that are still aging in small oak barrels in Portugal!
Bottled when producer believes ready to drink, should be drunk soon after
May be multiple bottling’s from each vintage
Bottle shows date of harvest ‘Colheita’ and bottling date
Served lightly chilled; 10~12c. Palate intense and powerful. Notes of molasses, caramel, dried apricot, figs, nuts and clove, Orange zest freshness and fine tannins delivering a long finish.
Kopke consider themselves the leaders in Colheita but other good examples from Niepoort, Quinta do Noval, Taylors, Barros, Delaforce
What is the Baumé of Port grapes at start of fermentation
What is Baumé at finish i.e. when fortified?
Start 12~13.5 Bé
Finish 6~8 Bé
Main Port Markets 2017?
Volume
France 26% Mainly low end
Portugal 17%
Netherlands 14%
UK 12%
Vineyards for Port are graded Who grades ‘em and how often? How many grades, what are the grades? How often are the vineyards graded? 4 Natural factors of grading? 4 Human factors of grading? What do the grades ultimately dictate?
6 grades, A Best —> F
Max points avail 1,761, A = >1200
Graded periodically by IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto)
Natural: Soil, Slope, Altitude, Location
Human: Grape Variety, Planting density, Vine Age, Yields
Ultimately controls how much Port can be made by dictating how much Aguardente can be purchased allocation made annually
In the Port winery why is rapid extraction necessary?
How long have you got?
Colour and tannin needs to be extracted in 2~3 days
Draining off skins for fortification at 6~8% abv
Tannin most soluble in alcohol but can’t allow alcohol to reach high levels for natural extraction so has to be ‘forced’!
How are Ruby, Quality Ruby and Tawny Ports matured?
What happens during the maturation process?
Ruby - Maintain primary fruit character. Mature S. Steel or Large Oak
Quality Ruby - Large Oak Vats
NB Large Casks 25~35k litres / Vats 55k~75k litres
Tawny - 550l Oak Casks - Pipes
As Port matures Tannins soften and colour evolves
Garrafeira Port
Single Vintage wines
3~6yrs in Oak + MINIMUM 8yrs in 5~10 Ltr demijohns
Usually aged much longer; 20, 30, 40yrs
Has depth of fruit and silky texture of Tawny Port
Bottle must show dates of Harvest, Bottling, Decanting
Sogrape
Founded 1942 - Guedes family owned
Owner of Mateus
Offley, Ferreira, Sandeman
