Port And Fortified Muscats Flashcards

1
Q

Which are the two towns of the Portuguese Port trade situated, on the coast, North and South of the mouth of the River Douro?

A

Porto

Villa Nova de Gaia

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2
Q

Working West to East name the three subregions of Port vineyards

A

Baixo Corgo
Cima Corgo
Douro Superior

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3
Q

Which of Ports subregions produces the lightest wines and why?

A

Baixo Corgo because it is most westerly and receives some coastal influence

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4
Q

In which of Ports subregions are most vineyards located?

A

Cima Corgo

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5
Q

Describe the Douro Superior subregion and what it produces

A

The hottest and most easterly of the subregions

Sparsely planted but produces top quality wine

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6
Q

What is the climate of Port?

A

Warm Continental

Shielded from Atlantic winds by Serra do Marão

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7
Q

What are the climate risks in the Port Region?

A

Some frosts in Spring
Heavy rain can disrupt flowering and harvest
Summer temps can be V. High
Rainfall low

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8
Q

What is the soil on the Port subregions and how does it help vines?

A

Schist bedrock, fractures vertically helping vine roots to dig down deep to water reserves

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9
Q

What is the topography of the Port subregions and how can Vine growers make the most of it?

A

Quite extreme
Baixo Corgo and Baixo Cima Planted on steep slopes
Temp diff bottom to top - altitude
Some N face slopes used as face away from hot sun

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10
Q

Name the 3 types of terracing used, list pros and cons

A

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

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11
Q

Two types of terracing in Port region face a potential risk.

What is the risk and which are the terracing types?

A

Soil erosion dud to no retaining walls

Patamares and Vinho ao Alto

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12
Q

What is the criteria for a Port grape?

List the 5 varieties used

A

Thick skinned, High tannin, Black fruit and floral notes
Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional
Tinta Roriz, Tinta Baroca, Tinta Cão

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13
Q

Describe a quality Tawny Port

A

Pale tawny in colour, high in alcohol, sweet, walnut, coffee, chocolate

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14
Q

What is the grape Tinta Roriz otherwise known as?

Which of the Port grapes is similar to Grenache?

A

Tempranillo

Tinta Baroca

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15
Q
From lowest to highest what is the correct order of price, for these different Port styles?
Vintage Port
LBV
Ruby
Reserve Tawny
A

Ruby, Reserve Tawny, Late Bottle Vintage Port, Vintage Port

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16
Q

At what abv is Port fermentation stopped by the addition of spirit?

A

5~9% abv

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17
Q

What 4 key steps for the production of Vintage Port?

A

Rapid extraction of colour
Alcoholic fermentation
Fortification
Ageing

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18
Q

Why is rapid extraction so important in making Port?

A

Fermentation V. Short, 24~36hrs because fortified with grape spirit when just 5~9% abv

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19
Q

What are troughs used for foot treading called?

A

Lagares

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20
Q

Name the three methods used to rapidly extract colour and tannins from Port grapes

A

Foot Treading
Autovinifiers
Piston plungers and robotic lagares

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21
Q

Which mechanical extraction system is considered most like traditional Foot Treading?

A

Piston plungers and Robotic lagares

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22
Q

Briefly summarise how an autovinifier works

A

Crushed grapes in sealed vat
Ferment pressure forces wine into holding tank
Pressure reached, wine floods back down over cap
Process repeats every 15~20 mins

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23
Q

What is the name of the spirit used to fortify Port?
What is its maximum permitted strength?
What abv range is Port fortified to?
Approx what % of a bottle of Port is this spirit?

A

Aguardente
77% abv
19%~22% depending on house style
20% of total

24
Q

Where is Port wine often sent to and why?

A

Sent to Villa Nova de Gaia because the cooler coast allows slower maturation

25
Q

Traditionally which Port style might be matured in the Douro and why?

A

Tawny Port because they are oxidatively aged so heat is a benefit

26
Q

In what is Port matured?

A

Small~large Oak vessels

S. Steel also used now

27
Q

What is the style of Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and vintage Ports and how are they aged?

A

Deeply coloured with primary fruit flavours avoiding oxygen

Aged in large Oak vessels or S. Steel for a relatively short period

28
Q

What is the style of a bottle aged Vintage (and some LBV) Port?

A

Garnet colour with tertiary cooked fruit, and vegetal (prune, leather and wet leaves) flavours

29
Q

How and in what is a True Tawny Port aged?

A

Long oxidative ageing in barrels called ‘Pipes’

30
Q

Give simple tasting notes for a ‘true’ Tawny Port

A

Tawny colour (maybe brown if really old), raisiny, with flavours of walnuts, coffee, chocolate and caramel

31
Q

Which types of Port can be labelled ‘Reserve / Reserva’ and how is it decided to apply the term?

A

Can be applied to both Ruby and Tawny Ports that are of a higher quality.
Determined by an official tasting panel
A Reserve Tawny must be wood aged for min 6 years

32
Q

What is LBV Port?

A

Late Bottled Vintage Port
Aged 4~6 yrs before bottling
Usually fined and filtered
Ready to drink on release

33
Q

What is ‘Tawny with an indication of age’ Port?

A

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 as lose freshness soon after
Finest of all Tawny Ports

34
Q

What is ‘Vintage’ Port?

A

The most concentrated and tannic of Ports
Usually a producers flagship Port
Only produced av 3 times per decade, up to producer not consensus
Consumer can drink young or age in cellar
Throws heavy deposit

35
Q

What is the Portuguese word for ‘Estate’?

A

Quinta

36
Q

When are Ports blended?

A

Through the entire production process

37
Q

What is the character of Muscat grapes?

What climate does it like?

A

Low~med acidity with perfumed aromas of Orange blossom, Rose and Grape.
Warm climate but some cooling influence to retain acidity and aromas

38
Q

Give an example and simple tasting notes for an unaged Muscat
How is it made?

A

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

39
Q

Give an example and simple tasting notes for a fully developed aged Muscat
How is it made?

A

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

40
Q

What’s a ‘Socolos’?

A

A traditional narrow terrace supported by Stone Walls

41
Q

What do you call a traditional narrow terrace supported by Stone Walls?

A

Socolos

42
Q

What are ‘Patamares’?

A

A newer type of terrace used in the Port region that allows some mechanisation (tractor access) by not having retaining walls.

43
Q

What is the name of a newer type of terrace used in the Port region that allows some mechanisation (tractor access) by not having retaining walls?

A

Patamares

44
Q

What is the name of the terracing system used in Port than can only be used on gentle slopes?

A

Vinha ao Alto

45
Q

What is the single biggest difference between Ruby and Tawny styles of Port?

A

Ruby Ports are matured protectively to minimise oxidation

Tawny Ports are deliberately oxidised

46
Q

What type of Port am I?
I am relatively inexpensive and made from a blend of wines typically between 1~3 years old. I lack concentration, complexity or tannins of my more premium peers

A

Ruby Port

47
Q

What type of Port am I?
I am inexpensive and Tawny in colour with some browning achieved using lighter wines from Baixa Corgo, I have a period of hot maturation and heavy fining to remove some of my colour. I may even have a little white Port in me?

A

Inexpensive Tawny Port

48
Q

What is the minimum ageing for a Reserve Tawny Port?

A

Wood aged for min 6 years?

49
Q

What is the labelling term for Ruby and Tawny Ports that are of a higher quality and has been approved by an official tasting panel?

A

Reserve / Reserva

50
Q

What type of Port am I?
I’ve been aged in large oak vessels for 4~6 yrs before bottling. I’m fined and filtered before bottling so am suitable for drinking as soon as I’m released.

A

Late Bottled Vintage Port

51
Q

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?

A

High quality Tawny with an indication of Age

52
Q

If you have a Tawny wine with an age indication of e.g. 20 years, what does 20 years relate to?

A

The average age of the wines contained within so long as the wine is consistent with the characteristics of a wine of that age.

53
Q

What must be shown on the label of a bottle of Tawny with an indication of Age Port? Why?

A

The year of bottling

Because they start to lose their freshness after bottling

54
Q

What type of Port am I?
I am aged in Large Oak vessels or Stainless Steel tanks.
I must be bottled no later than the third year after harvest.
I am not fined or filtered before bottling. Normally you will age me yourself before drinking.

A

Vintage Port

55
Q

How long must a Reserve Tawny Port be aged?

A

Min 6 yrs in wood