Port and Fortified Muscats Flashcards
Name the two coastal cities within which most of the Portuguese Port trade is conducted.
-Porto
-Villa Nova de Gaia
Name the three Port regions from west to east.
Which is the coolest?
Baixo Corgo - coolest.
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior
Which of Ports subregions produces the lightest wines and why?
Baixo Corgo because it is most westerly and receives some coastal influence
In which Ports subregion are most vineyards located?
Cima Corgo
Describe the Douro Superior subregion and what it produces
The hottest and most easterly of the subregions
Sparsely planted but produces top quality wine
What is the climate of Port?
Warm Continental
Shielded from Atlantic winds by Serra do Marão
Name the 3 types of terracing used, list pros and cons
Socalcos - Trad, supported stone walls, no mechanisation
Patamares - Newer type, no walls, allows tractor access
Vinho ao Alto - Unterraced, allows mechanisation but can only be used on gentle slopes
List the 5 red varieties used.
What do they all have in common?
-Touriga Franca,
-Touriga Nacional
-Tinta Roriz,
-Tinta Baroca,
-Tinta Cão
Thick skinned with high tannin potential.
Describe a Reserve Tawny Port
Tawny in colour, alcohol 19-22%abv, sweet, walnut, coffee, chocolate
What is the grape Tinta Roriz otherwise known as?
Tempranillo
At what abv is Port fermentation stopped by the addition of spirit?
5~9% abv
List 4 key stages for the production of Port?
Rapid extraction of colour
Alcoholic fermentation
Fortification DURING fermentation (to retain residual sweetness)
Ageing
Why is rapid extraction before and during fermenation important in making Port?
The fermentation is very short (24~48 hours) with fortification taking place at 5~9% abv
Name the equipment used for extraction before fermentation starts? L…….?
Lagares
Name the three methods used to rapidly extract colour and tannins from Port grapes
-Foot Treading
-Autovinifiers
-Piston plungers and robotic lagares
Which mechanical extraction system is considered most like a traditional Foot Treading?
Piston plungers and Robotic lagares
Briefly summarise how an autovinifier works
Crushed grapes in sealed vat
Fermentation pressure forces wine into holding tank
Pressure reached, wine floods back down over cap
Process repeats every 15~20 mins
What is the name of the spirit used to fortify Port?
What is its maximum permitted strength?
What abv range is Port fortified to?
Aguardente
77% abv
19%~22% depending on house style.
Where is Port wine often sent to and why?
Sent to Villa Nova de Gaia because the cooler coast allows slower maturation
Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV late Bottle Vintage, and Vintage Port all have in common what on the palate?
Deeply coloured.
Primary fruit flavours avoiding oxidation.
What are the defining characteristics of a long (20 years+) bottle aged Vintage Port?
Garnet colour.
Tertiary aromas of cooked fruit, prune, leather and wet leaves.
How and in what is a true Tawny Port aged?
Long oxidative ageing in barrels called ‘Pipes’
Give simple tasting notes for a ‘true’ Tawny Port
Tawny colour (maybe brown if really old), raisiny, with flavours of walnuts, coffee, chocolate and caramel
What production methods define a Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port?
Aged 4~6 yrs before bottling but avoiding oxidation.
Usually fined and filtered and ready to drink on release.
What production methods define a ‘Tawny Port with an indication of age’ Port?
Long oxidative ageing in Pipes
Labelled 10, 20, 30, 40 years old
Age is the average age of the wine in the bottle
Label must state year of bottling.
Finest of all Tawny Ports
What production methods defines a ‘Vintage’ Port?
Why is decanting recommended for both young and old Vintage Port?
Made with highest quality grapes.
Produced on average 3 times per decade.
The most concentrated and tannic of Ports.
2 years bottle aging only before sale.
Benefits from long bottle ageing (decades)
Throws heavy deposit in youth as well as in maturity, as not filtered or fined.
What is the Portuguese word for ‘Estate’?
Quinta
When are Ports blended?
Through the entire production process.
What is the character of the Muscat variety??
Aromatic.
Perfumed aromas of Orange blossom, Rose and Grape.
Typically low to medium acidity.
Give an example and simple tasting notes for an unaged Muscat
How is it made?
Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise - S. Rhone
Medium gold, floral and aromatic with pure varietal character
Sweet but rarely luscious
Grapes ripe and healthy, crushed, some skin contact, cool ferment stopped with 96% abv grape spirit. Stored inert before bottling
Give an example and simple tasting notes for a fully developed aged Muscat
How is it made?
e.g. Rutherglen, Australia
Amber~brown. Sweet~luscious, oxidative aromas but still retaining varietal aromas.
Grapes picked ripe and healthy, some raisining permitted, fermentation on skins. If luscious ferment stopped at 2% abv then oxidative ageing in old wood
What is the minimum ageing requirement for a Reserve Tawny Port?
Aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 6 years?
What type of Port am I?
I have undergone a long period of oxidative ageing in Pipes.
I can be labelled 10, 20, 30, 40 years old?
High quality Tawny with an indication of Age
Which Port can benefit from being served lightly chilled?
Tawny Port
What Port is considered a close 2nd best to a Vintage Port in terms of both style and quality?
Are they aged for the same duration as a Vintage Port
Single Quinta.
Typically aged in bottle for longer by the producer and released when considered ready to drink.
