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WSET Level 3 Textbook > Sherry > Flashcards

Sherry Flashcards

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1
Q

What does flor need precise levels of in order to thrive?

3 points

A

1) Alcohol
2) Temperature
3) Humidity

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2
Q

What is the climate of Jerez?

A

Hot Mediterranean

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3
Q

Which vineyards in Jerez are the coolest?

A

Those nearest the coast

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4
Q

To what strength are sweet sherries fortified?

A

17% ABV

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5
Q

What are the exact criteria for classifying a base Palomino wine?

A

There aren’t any - it varies according to the house style of the producer, and their need to meet demands for volume and style

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6
Q

What enhances the impact of oxidation in oxidative styles of sherry?

A

The air present in the part-filled butts

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7
Q

What is the difference between Medium and Cream sherries?

A
  • Medium sherry is made from wines with both biological and oxidative ageing characteristics
  • Cream sherry is made only from oxidative wine
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8
Q

What is used to sweeten Medium and Cream sherries?

A

Pedro Ximénez wine

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9
Q

What do the best examples of Medium and Cream sherry balance in terms of flavour?

A

Toffee, leather and walnut from the dry wine

Vs.

Dried fruit from the sweet wine

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10
Q

Why can a sweet Oloroso/PX blend no longer be labelled as ‘Oloroso Dulce’?

A

Due to changes in the law, Oloroso can now only denote a dry style of wine

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11
Q

How is Amontillado made?

3 steps

A

1) Wine undergoes a period of biological ageing
2) It is refortified to 17% ABV to kill the flor
3) The wine is fed into an Amontillado Solera system

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12
Q

What is the name for the soil of the Jerez region?

A

Albariza

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13
Q

What is the main characteristic of Albariza?

A

High chalk content

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14
Q

What vessel would be used for the fermentation of Palomino wine?

A

Stainless steel tanks

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15
Q

At what temperature would Palomino wine ferment?

Why is this unusual?

A

20-25°C

This is high for a white wine

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16
Q

Why is Palomino wine fermented at a relatively high temperature?

A

To produce a neutral base wine without varietal aromas

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17
Q

What is the ABV of Palomino wine at the end of fermentation?

A

11-12% ABV

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18
Q

At what stage are grapes for sweet sherry pressed?

A

Once the desired must weight has been achieved

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19
Q

What is the average age of wine taken from a biologically aged solera system?

A

3-4 years

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20
Q

Why can’t wines in a biological solera system age for more than 7 years?

A

By that time, the oldest criadera (and the solera in general) will have a very low level of nutrients and the flor will start to fail, exposing the wine to oxygen

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21
Q

What, in the solera system, helps preserve the base character of oxidised sherry, and how?

A
  • The introduction of young wine

- The base wine would become overly oxidised

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22
Q
  • What is a sherry ‘butt’?

- How much does it hold?

A
  • A large oak barrel used for ageing

- 600 litres

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23
Q

Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and PX can qualify for age-indicated status. What are the 4 categories?

A

1) VORS (Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum) - 30 year blend
2) VOS (Vinum Optimum Signatum/Very Old Sherry) - 20 year blend
3) 15 years old*
4) 12 years old*
* applies to whole solera system

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24
Q

What is the rainfall like on Jerez?

2 points

A
  • High as an annual average due to coastal location

- Limited in the growing season

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25
Q

Where is the majority of Pedro Ximénez grown?

A

Montilla-Moriles

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26
Q

What does albariza naturally do in summer which enhances its moisture retention?

A

Forms a hard crust which limits evaporation from the soil

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27
Q

Why do sweet sherries only ferment to a few degrees of alcohol before fortification?

A

The grape juice has such high sugar concentration that the yeast struggle to ferment the sugars

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28
Q

How does albariza allow the vines of Jerez to cope with low rainfall in the growing season?

(2 points)

A

1) Good drainage

2) Deep with excellent water storage capability

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29
Q

Why must Palomino grapes reach the press as quickly as possible after harvest?

A

1) Very high temperatures at harvest time would cause rapid oxidation, and an oxidative style might not be desirable

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30
Q

Is fortified sherry immediately put into the solera system?

A

No, it will be set aside for a few months first

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31
Q

Which Jerez variety:

  • Accounts for most of plantings
  • Low acid
  • Quite neutral
A

Palomino

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32
Q

At what stage of production is sherry fortified?

A

After fermentation and classification

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33
Q

Which sherry style:

  • Luscious
  • Varietal dried citrus peel
A

Muscat

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34
Q

What is the effect of the climatic difference between Jerez and Sanlúcar de Barrameda on Manzanilla vs. Fino?

A

Manzanilla has a more intensely tangy aroma due to the cool, humid coastal conditions of Sanlúcar, which guarantee a thick flor year-long

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35
Q

What is the maximum ABV of a wine with flor?

A

15.5% - the flor cannot thrive at any higher ABV

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36
Q

What environmental conditions does flor prefer?

2 points

A

1) Cool-moderate temperature

2) High humidity

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37
Q
  • What is the main advantage of the complex solera system?

- How/why does this work?

A
  • Consistency: the wine taken out for blending/bottling is the same every time
  • Because the younger wine takes on the characteristics of the older wine with which it has been blended when introduced into a new criadera
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38
Q

For up to how long can oxidised sherries mature?

A

Over 30 years, though few make it to that age

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39
Q

Why are butts only part-filled?

A

So that the flor has easy access to oxygen

40
Q

What is a bodega?

A

A warehouse used for ageing and storing sherry

41
Q

True or false:

Most sherries are the product of one solera system

A

False:

The majority (including premium) are blends from several solera systems

42
Q

Why does wine need to be drawn off the solera at frequent intervals throughout the year?

A

To maintain a ready flow of nutrients between criaderas

43
Q

What is a flor?

A

A number of yeast strains which form a thick layer on the surface of a wine

44
Q

What are criaderas?

A

‘Levels’ of butts which hold sherries of different average ages

45
Q
  • How do the growers of Jerez maximise the amount of water retained by the albariza during autumn and winter?
  • When exactly do they do this?
A
  • Dig rectangular pits between rows of vines to trap water and reduce run-off
  • Once harvest has finished: smooth out the soil in spring
46
Q

What ABV is the neutral spirit used to fortify sherry?

A

96% ABV

47
Q

Why is sobretabla less important for oxidised sherries?

A

There is no need to wait and see if flor develops

48
Q

Why are butts often used to mature unfortified wines before they are used for sherry?

A

To eliminate oak flavours

49
Q

What is sobretabla?

3 points

A

The months before wine is added to a solera but after fortification, during which the winemaker waits to see if the flor develops correctly and thus which solera system it is suitable for.

50
Q

What sort of base wine for sherry would be chosen for:

1) Biological ageing
2) Oxidative ageing

A

1) Light, pale wines with more ‘finesse’

2) Dark, rich, ‘heavier’ wines

51
Q
  • To what strength are wines for oxidative ageing fortified?

- What happens at this ABV?

A
  • 17% ABV

- The flor dies

52
Q

What are the two types of classification sherry is sorted into during autumn?

A

Wines which will be sent for:

  • Biological ageing
  • Oxidative ageing
53
Q

What happens to sherry which fails to meet the standard of the solera during 2nd classification?

(2 options)

A

1) Refortification, and it is sent for oxidative ageing instead
2) Rejected completely

54
Q

Which style of sherry:

  • Rare
  • Aromas of Amontillado
  • Body and richness of Oloroso
  • Can be identified at 2nd classification
  • Very high quality
  • Made with various methods
A

Palo Cortado

55
Q

Most sherries undergo fining and filtration before bottling. Why might a producer choose not to, or keep it to a minimum?

A

Recent trend: minimum intervention for biologically aged wines, to keep vibrant flavours

56
Q

What product of a flor gives biologically aged sherries their unique flavour?

A

Acetaldehyde

57
Q

What is the difference between ‘solera’ and ‘solera system’?

A

Solera system = the maturation system as a whole

Solera = the final level in the system, which holds wine of the oldest average age

58
Q

Which sherry style:

  • Deep brown
  • Luscious
  • Up to 500g/l of residual sugar
  • Dried fruit, coffee, liquorice
A

Pedro Ximénez

59
Q

Name 3 oxidative styles of sherry

A

1) Oloroso
2) PX
3) Some Muscat sherries

60
Q

True or false:

Flor is extremely sensitive to its ambient conditions

A

True:

Even the position of a butt within an individual bodega can influence the style of the sherry

61
Q

What are the minimum and maximum numbers of criaderas?

A

3 - 14

62
Q

Which sherry style:

  • Short biological ageing
  • Sweetened with RCGM
  • Looks like Fino
  • No pronounced flor character
A

Pale Cream

63
Q

What is Manzanilla Fina?

A

The Fino-style wine for which Manzanilla is most famous

64
Q

When does flor grow most vigorously during the year?

A

Spring and autumn

65
Q

What are the names of the 3 towns where sherry is allowed to be matured?

A

1) Jerez de la Frontera
2) Sanlúcar de Barrameda
3) El Puerto de Santa Maria

66
Q

Name the 3 grape varieties permitted in Jerez

A

1) Palomino
2) Pedro Ximénez
3) Muscat of Alexandria

67
Q

What is the name for the resting period for sherry before it is put into a solera?

A

Sobretabla

68
Q

Which Jerez variety:

  • Very small amounts grown
  • Used for sweet wines
A

Muscat of Alexandria

69
Q

What are the names for:

1) The cool, humid westerly wind
2) The hot, drying easterly wind

which 1) benefits 2) stress and damages the vineyards of Jerez?

A

1) The Poniente

2) The Levante

70
Q

Which Jerez variety:

  • Little varietal flavour
  • Thin skin
  • Suitable for sun drying
  • Planted mostly in Montilla-Moriles, not Jerez
A

Pedro Ximénez

71
Q

Wines made from Palomino grapes grown in cooler coastal vineyards then fermented at lower temperatures are suitable for:

A

Biological ageing

72
Q

What is the full name of the town which gives the sherry region its name?

A

Jerez de la Frontera

73
Q

Wines made from Palomino grapes grown in warmer inland vineyards then fermented at higher temperatures are suitable for:

A

Oxidative ageing

74
Q

Why are grapes for sweet sherries sun-dried after picking?

2 points

A

1) To concentrate their sugars

2) To develop flavours of raisin

75
Q

To what strength is Palomino-based sherry fortified if it will be biologically aged?

A

15 - 15.5% ABV

76
Q

Which style of sherry:

  • Brown
  • Full body
  • Toffee, leather, spice, walnut
A

Oloroso

77
Q

What happens to the alcohol level of oxidative sherry as it matures?

Why?

A

It can increase to up to 22% ABV as the water content evaporates

78
Q

What does flor protect a wine from?

A

Oxidation

79
Q

Why might criaderas from the same solera system be kept in different bodegas?

A

To reduce the risk of losing an entire solera system in one catastrophic event

80
Q

What kind of ageing can happen in a solera system: biological or oxidative?

A

Both

81
Q

Which style of sherry:

  • Amber/brown
  • Medium-medium + body
  • Autolytic aromas
  • Oxidative aromas
  • Can mature up to 30 years
A

Amontillado

82
Q

What would be the advantage of blending from different solera systems in the case of old Oloroso?

A

It would balance the intense flavours of very old wine with freshness from younger wines

83
Q

Can biologically matured sherries such as Fino be bottle-aged?

A

No - they quickly lose their freshness

84
Q

What does a flor feed on?

3 points

A
  • Alcohol
  • Nutrients
  • Oxygen
85
Q

What does a flor produce?

2 points

A
  • Carbon dioxide

- Acetaldehyde

86
Q

Which 2 styles of sherry:

  • Dry
  • Pale lemon
  • Citrus, almond, herbs, bread
  • Salty/tangy
  • Do not improve in the bottle
A

Fino and Manzanilla

87
Q

Which sherry style if aged oxidatively after a period of biological ageing?

A

Amontillado

88
Q

Give the 4 steps of solera maturation.

A

1) Wine for bottling taken out of the solera in equal amounts from each butt
2) Solera is not fully emptied. Butts replenished with same volume of wine from next level: the ‘first criadera’
3) Replenishment: equal volumes taken out of 1st criadera butts, blended together & used to top up solera
4) 1st criadera replenished with 2nd criadera; youngest topped up with sobretabla wine

89
Q

How do bodegas keep the maturation environment cool in the hot climate of Jerez?

(5 points)

A

1) Thick whitewashed walls
2) High ceilings
3) Windows facing the Poniente winds
4) Damp earth floors: humidity
5) Some are air-conditioned

90
Q

What would the Fino/Manzanilla label ‘En Rama’ denote?

A

Wines which have undergone minimal fining and filtering

91
Q

What is a ‘level’ in the context of the solera system?

A

A group of butts

92
Q

What would you call wine matured in the coastal town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda?

A

Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda

93
Q

Why might the consistency of a solera system be spoiled?

2 reasons

A

1) If poor quality wine is fed into the system

2) If too much wine is taken out each year

94
Q

How does a producer decide if a sherry’s flor has developed suitably?

A

A second classification, during which they decide which solera system fits the style and character

95
Q

Broadly speaking, how is maturation in a solera system achieved?

A

By moving wine between criaderas over time to achieve a blend of younger and older wines

96
Q
  • What form of ageing have all naturally sweet styles of sherry undergone?
  • What is their primary use?
A
  • Oxidative

- Blending into sweetened sherries

WSET Level 3 Textbook (19 decks)

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