Port Flashcards
Where is most Port matured, and why?
What type is the general exception, and why?
Vila Nova de Gaia, because it is cooler on the coast and can support and long maturation.
Tawny, because a warmer, faster maturation and loss of color is desirable.
Which types of Port are typically fined and filtered?
Ruby, Reserve Ruby, and some LBV
Which types of Port are typically not fined and filtered?
Vintage and some LBV
Which type of Port throws its deposit during pre-bottle maturation?
Tawny
What are the barrels used to mature Tawny Port called?
Pipes
When is Port blended?
All the way through maturation.
Which types of Port are fully developed and ready to drink on release?
Tawny, Reserve Tawny, Tawny with Age Indication (loses freshness after bottling), Ruby, Reserve Ruby, some LBV, SQV
Which types of Port can benefit from bottle aging?
Vintage and some LBV
Which types of Port are not NV, and what are their requirements?
Vintage & LBV - must be from a single year.
Tawny with Indication of Age - must state year of bottling, and contains a blend of wines with the average age indicated - 10, 20, 30, or 40 years
What is the minimum wood aging for Reserve Tawny?
6 years
How long is LBV aged before bottling?
4 to 6 years
Which is more approachable on release, Vintage or LBV Port? Why?
LBV - because LBV is aged in old oak, and Vintage Port is at its most tannic when young.
Which is most likely not to be fined and filtered, LBV or Vintage Port?
Vintage
At what point is a Port registered for a Vintage Port?
the 2nd year post-harvest
What is the latest time a Vintage Port can be bottled?
no later than the 3rd year after harvest
How many Vintage Ports are released per decade, on average?
3
Can individual producers declare a Vintage Port?
Yes, consensus is not required
What is S.Q.V. wine and what is the difference between SQV from a small vs a large producer?
Single Quinta Vintage.
A small producer with only one Quinta will only make an SQV in the great years when a vintage is declared.
Larger producers may release SQVs from their best performing single Quintas in years not good enough to declare a Vintage - this is not considered as prestigious as a Vintage Port blend of the best from all of their Quintas.
Does Tawny Port need to be decanted? Why?
No - it throws its deposit during its oxidative maturation in pipes.
Which Ports are comprised of wines 1 to 3 years in age?
Ruby and Tawny
What are the 4 techniques for making a Tawny Port achieve its color?
- Using lighter or less extracted wines from Baixo Corgo
- Maturing in the hot Douro region
- Blending in White Port
- Heavy use of fining to remove color
LBV Port that is fined and filtered is most like what other Port? And which is it most like when it is not fined or filtered?
Fined & Filtered: Reserve Ruby
Unfined & Unfiltered: Vintage Port
Which type of LBV Port is more common - filtered or unfiltered?
Filtered
Which type of LBV Port can bottle age - filtered or unfiltered?
Unfiltered
What is a Quinta?
A single estate
