Portugal & Port Flashcards
What are the two main grapes of Port?
Touriga Nacional & Malvasia
Where is Port located in
Duoro valley
what is the viticulture like in Port?
- steep, terraced vineyards parallel to the Duoro River, “Patameres” is the most common, terraces are wide enough for a tractor to go through
- a new style called “Vinhos ao Alta” plants the vineyards vertically up the slopes.
- all hand harvested
what is the best soil for port?
schist
what are quintas in port?
single vineyards
Describe the vinification of port?
- blend of many different grape varieties
- destemmed (fully or partially)
- traditionally grapes were foot crushed & fermented in low open top granite fermentors called “lagares”
- 2-3 day maceration in the lagares, the goal is to extract color & flavor in a short period of time
- wines are fortified when about 1/3 of the sugar content has been converted to alcohol (this process is called Beneficio aka. mutage in France)
- wines are fortified with aguardiente to 19%-22%
what is beneficio
fortification of wine with a neutral grape spirit, aka mutage in France
what does aguardente mean
burning water
what are the two main styles of port
Ruby & Tawny
What are the different styles of Ruby Port
- Ruby Port
- Ruby Reserver Port
- Vintage Port
- Single Quinta Vintage Port
- Late-Bottled Vintage Port
Describe Ruby Port
- often aged in bulk, (wood, cement or stainless steel), for 2 years before bottling
- wine is uncomplicated, deeply color & inexpensive
- no vintage date
describe ruby reserve port
offers more complexity & character than basic ruby port
describe vintage port
- most expensive style of port only making up 1-3% of production
- vintages are only declared in exceptional years & must be authorized by the IVDP
- aged in cask before bottling by July 30 of the third year following harvest
- will continue to develop in the bottle for decades
describe single Quinta vintage port
- the product of one estates harvest
- if a Port House cannot call all of their harvest vintage they will release a single estate vintage
describe Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port
- spend between 4-6 years in cask before bottling
- always from one single vintage
describe the basic style of Tawny Port
- cask-aged, which helps develop more complex tones of toffee, dried fruits & toasted nuts
- naturally develops lighter, amber tones of color as it ages in wood
Name the different types of Tawny Port
- Tawny Port
- Reserve Tawny
- Tawny with Indication of Age
- Colheita Tawny
describe Reserve Tawny
- ages for at least 7 years prior to bottling
- blended from several vintages & retain some youthful freshness while gaining a hint of the creamy, delicate nature of a true old Tawny
- will not improve with bottle age
describe tawny with indication of age
- may be labeled as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old
- progressively more concentrated & developed character reaching a pronounced oxidation “rancio” state by 40 yrs of age
- high quality fruit & are matured in seasoned wood
- racked once annually, freshened w/ addtl spirit or wine as evaporation occurs naturally & often blended together before bottling
- an approximation of age of the blended wines in a bottle
describe Colheita Tawny
vintage-dated Port that spends a min. of 7 years in cask, many stay in for decades
Describe the climate of Vinho Verde
along Atlantic Coast, with influences from Minho River
-cool rainy & maritime
Describe the soil of Vinho Verde
granitic
What grapes are predominately in Vinho Verde Blends
Alvharino, Lourerro, Treixadura
Describe the viticulture of Vinho Verde
traditional “enforcado” were high trellised vines, some even grew up trees & poles to help prevent against grey rot & mold. Most modern producers use traditional trellises for efficiency
Name the declared vintages of Port?
2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015
what is Portugals first demarcated wine region
Duoro
where is the Duoro located?
along the Duoro River Valley region
describe the geography of the Duoro River Valley
very mountainous region, the river & its tributaries cut deep valleys through the Marao & Montemuro mountains, with vineyards along steep terraced slopes
what is the climate of the Duoro river valley
continental
what are the three regions of the Duoro? West-East
- Baixa Corgo: highest density of plantings
- Cima Corgo: highest total vineyard acreage
- Duoro Superior: stretches to the Spanish border, & is the largest, & most arid & most sparsely planted
how much of the Duoro is released as Porto?
50% approx
name the grapes of the Duoro
Red: Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, etc.
W: Malvasia, Viosinho, etc.
what are the styles of wine released from Duoro?
- Port
- Simple, fruit & fresh
- polished, new oak
- sparkling (Espumanto do Duoro)
- Colheita Tardia (late harvest)
describe reserva aging in Duoro
White & Rose: Min abv 11.5% & 6 mo. aging
Red: min abv 12% & 1 yr. aging
where are Portugals best dry reds produced
Dao
what are the main grapes of the Dao
Touriga Nacional & Encruzado
what is the style of the Dao
typically more elegant, sharper & more floral than the Duoro
What is the geography like in the Dao
sheltered by mountain ranges which helps protect from harsh inland wines as well as insulated from the wet, cool maritime coast
what is the climate of the Dao
hot & dry growing season with adequate rain in the winter
what is the soil of the Dao
granitic mostly im the 400-500m elevations
where are most of the vineyards in the Dao planted
400-500m vineyards to help preserve acidity
What is the Reserva aging requirements of the Dao
Red: 2 yrs. aging,
White: 6 mo. aging
What is the Nobre aging requirements for the Dao
Red: min. 15% Touriga Nacional, 3 yrs. aging & min. 13% ABV
White: Min. 15% Encruzado, 1 yr. aging & min 12% ABV
What is the RED Nobre Reserva & Garafeira aging requirements for the Dao
Reserva: 42 months
Garafeira: 48 mo. total with 18 mo. in bottle
what is the WHITE Nobre Reserva & Garafeira aging requirements of the Dao
Reserva: 1. yr aging
Garafeira: 18 mo. total with 9 in bottle
