Ports

Question 1

a. How does the pre-bottling maturation of Vintage Port differ from that of a 20 year old
Tawny Port?

Answer 1

Vintage Port is only matured for a couple of years in large oak vessels and bottled by the
3rdyear after harvest.

Whereas a 20 year old Tawny port undergoes a long period of
oxidative maturation in barrels called “pipes”.

Wines from different vintages are blended
to give a wine consistent characteristics of one that is 20 years old. The age stated
is an average age.

Question 2

What effect does this maturation have on the style of Tawny Port? (4 marks)

Answer 2

The long period of oxidative ageing means that a 20 year old Tawny Port will be brown in
colour, with raisin and coffee flavours as the primary fruit has faded.

There will be no sediment as it drops out in barrel and it doesn’t benefit from bottle ageing.

Question 3

State and explain the climate of the Douro Valley

Answer 3

Broadly warm continental with large Diurnal Swings.Shielded from Atlantic by the Serra do Mario,however there are differences from the Baixo Corgo (cooler and wetter) | Douro Superior (Warmer and drier)

Question 4

Explain the Following Terms:

1. Socalcos
2. Patamares

Answer 4

1. Traditionally Narrow terraces supported by stone walls that are expensive to maintain with no mechanisation possible.
2. More modern terraces without retaining stone walls to allow some mechanisation,often following the contours of the land.

Question 5

List four different techniques that winemakers commonly used to enhance the extraction of his/her grapes.

Answer 5

1. Foot Treading
2. Autovinifiers
3. Robotic Lagars
4. Piston Plungers

Question 6

Explain how the maturation will affect the aromas of Port?

Answer 6

The maturation will occur initially in barrels of stainless steel vats for 2 years with extensive bottle ageing after that.

The wine will initially be full of primary characters such as deep concentrated black fruit (cassis, black cherry), sweet spice (Liquorice, black pepper, cloves) and as the intense phenolic (tannin) disappates it will develop tertiary characters such as dried fruits,leather,forest floor,meat and tobacco.

Question 7

Why would this wine throw a heavy sediment?

Answer 7

The wines initially bottled unfiltered and unfined and as they are allowed to age in bottle the phenolic (tannin) break down and are pigmented by the wine giving a heavy sediment