SHERRY and PORT Flashcards
Climate, soils and grape varieties
JEREZ centre of Sherry industry, wines must be matured either within the city limits/in one of the 2 smaller seaside towns
1. Sanlúcar de Barrameda
2. El Puerto de Santa Maria
Hot, sunny Mediterranean climate although vineyards that are nearer the coast are on a average a little cooler and benefit more from prevailing cool humid westerly wines known as PONIENTE.
Being a coastal region, annual rainfall is high compared with other Spanish regions. But rainfall in growing season is limited and it is the ALBARIZA soil in the region the vine can cope.
ALBARIZA - high chalk content. Provides good drainage but vitally it’s depth and excellent water holding capacity mean that it can store enough water to sustain the vines during the hot dry summers.
AUTUMN and WINTER - to maximise the amount of water retained by solid, rectangular pits are dug between the rows of vines to trap water and reduce run-off.
Done once harvest has finished and the soils is smoothed out again in spring.
GRAPE VARIETIES
PALOMINO
vast majority of plantings. Naturally low in acid and lack obvious varietal aromas. Ideal for Sherry production where styles are largely determined by either biological/oxidative maturation.
PEDRO XIMÈNEZ (PX)
Same as Palomino little varietal flavour. Thin skin makes it ideally suited for sun dried. Produce for production of SWEET SHERRIES. Little planted in Jerez. Most grapes that are used come from neighbouring region of Montilla-Moriles grows successfully.
MUSCAT OF ALEXANDRIA
small amount grown and like PX used to make sweet wines
WINERY (dry styles)
Grape handling and Fermentation
Palomino is used to make dry wines of Jerez. Given high temps at harvest time, grapes must reach the press as quickly as possible to avoid oxidation.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at temperatures between 20 - 25 degrees Celsius. Base wine dry with 11-12% abv.
FIRST CLASSIFICATION
During autumn wines are classified into 2 types
- Sent for Biological ageing
Lighter, paler wines with more finesse - Sent for Oxidative ageing
Darker, richer, heavier wines
Decisions are based on flavour characteristics of wine.
What is FLOR?
The veil or thin layer of indigenous yeast cells that forms on top of Biologically aged Sherry wines.
FORTIFICATION and SOBRETABLA
Once classification is done, wines are fortified using 96% abv neutral spirit.
SOBRETABLA
Wines are set aside for a period of few months before incorporated in the SOLERA SYSTEM
What’s SOLERA System?
Sherry is famous for its system of maturation called Solera System.
Versatile system that can be used to sustain biological and oxidative ageing.
Made up a number of BUTTS (referred as levels) which hold wines of different average ages. Levels are called CRIADERAS.
CRIADERAS
Maturation process involves moving wine between them over time to achieve a blend of younger and older wines.
Process of SOLERA System
Wine for bottling taken out of the SOLERA system from the SOLERA. Equal amount is taken from each butt in this level.
SOLERA is not fully emptied and the butts are replenished with same volume of wine taken from butts in next level that contain wine of a slightly younger average called CRIADERA. All wine take from first criadera is then mixed together. Finally, this wine is used to top up each butt in the SOLERA.
Process of SOLERA System part 2
First criadera is then replenished in exactly the same way with wine from the second criadera and so on, so that criadera is replenished in turn with a younger wine.
Criadera containing the youngest wine is usually replenished with SOBRETABLA wine.
FLOR AND BIOLOGICAL AGEING
Requires presence of Flor which is made up of a number of yeast strains. Together forms a thick layer on the surface of wine.
Feed off alcohol and other nutrients in wine and oxygen in the atmosphere to produce CO2 and acetaldehyde (gives Sherries unique flavour).
Flor needs precise levels of temperature and alcohol to thrive 15% - 15.5%, above it dies.
SOLERA system able to sustain a permanent culture of Flor in very butt.
Thin layer of Flor protects the wine from oxidation. Wines from SOLERA system rarely has an average greater than 3-4 yrs.
