Sherry, Port and Fortified Muscat Flashcards
What more than any other wine defines the wine style of Sherry
The process by which it is made
What is the name of the town that the Sherry producing region of Spain surrounds. What are the 2 other towns that are permitted to make Sherry
Jerez de la Frontera
Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria
What is the climate of Jerez and what do the coastal vineyards benefit from the cooling effects of
Hot, dry and sunny
The cooling humid westerly winds known as the Poniente
What is the hot wind that blows from the East in Jerez
The levante
What is the soil of Jerez called.. How does it help the vines cope with low rainfall in growing season
Albariza. Chalky well draining soil but has good water retention
What is done in autumn to improve the water content of the Albariza. What does the Albariza do itself in the hot season to improve water retention
rectangular pits are dug between the vines to trap rainwater and reduce run off. These are filled in the spring. In hot season the soil grows a crust that reduces evaporation
What are the 3 grape varieties allowed in Jerez
Palomino, Muscat of Alexandria and Pedro Ximinez
What is the profile of Palomino. Why is it ideal for Sherry
Low acid, neutral. The style of wine is determined by the oxidative or biological maturation selected not by the varietal flavors
What makes PX ideal for sweet sherry production. Where does most of it come from
With its thin skin it is easily dried
Most comes from neighboring Montilla Moriles
What is Muscat of Alex used for
Sweet sherry - v little planted
At what temp are Palomino grapes fermented for dry styles of Sherry - why. What is typical base wine ABV
20 - 25 C. High temp for white wines but the winemaker is trying to make a neutral base wine with no varietal flavors. Typical ABV is 11 - 12 %
How are the base wines categorized in the autumn. Which wines will be selected for which kind of maturation
Into those which will go for oxidative and biological maturation
Lighter wines with some finesse will go to biological
Heavier richer wines will go to oxidative
At the time of categorization in the autumn what will already have started to grow on all of the wines regardless of what maturation method they are selected for
Flor yeast layer
As well as wine style what do producers need to bear in mind when classifying base wines
The market demands for the various styles of wine
What simple rule of thumb can be applied to selection of base wines for the 2 kinds of maturation
Grapes grown from cooler coastal vineyards and fermented at lower temps more likely to go to biological
Grapes from warmer sites fermented at higher temps likely to go to oxidative
What happens to the base wines once classification is complete. What is this stage known as
The wines are fortified using 96% ABV neutral spirit then set aside for a few months before entering the Solera. This stage is known as Sobretabla
Wines destined for biological aging are fortified to what level ABV. Why is this. Why is the period of Sobretabla important for these wines
15 - 15.5 %. This is the ideal ABV for flor formation. Sobretabla is important so the producer can see if the flor is growing correctly
Wine destined for oxidative aging are fortified to what ABV - why is this.
17% ABV. This is the level at which flor dies
When making dry sherry from Palomino grapes what must happen as quickly as possible in the winery
The grapes must be pressed asap to avoid oxidation
Once picked what happens to grapes destined for sweet sherry. When are the grapes fermented
They are dried until the desired must weight is achieved then they are pressed and fermentation starts
Describe the fermentation in sweet sherry
The must is so sweet the yeast struggles to acheive just a few % ABV before it stops. Once stopped the wine is fortified to 17%
In what must Sherry be aged. Are oak flavors desirable
600 litre oak barrels called Butts. No oak flavor is desirable so Butts often used to mature unfortified wines first
If no oak flavor is desirable in Sherry why is it used. What is also done to encourage this
To allow ingress of O2
Butts are only filled 5/6
How is temp controlled during maturation in Jerez
Bodegas have thick whitewashed walls and high celings. Windows point west in the direction of the Poniente. Earth floors are kept wet to ensure correct humidity
What are the various levels in a Solera called
Criaderas
Summarize the Solera maturation process
Wines for bottling removed from the Solera System from the Solera. An equal amount of wine is removed from each Butt at that Criadera.
These butts are replenished with an equal volume of wine from the next oldest Criadera and so on
What wine is used to fill the criadera with the youngest wine
Wine from the Sobretabla
How may criaderas can there be
Anywhere from 3 to 14
What happens to the younger wine when it is introduced to the older wine in the next criadera
It takes on the character of the older wine
What can jepoardize the consistency of the Solera system
If a poor quality young wine is introduced or if too much wine is removed each year
What is often done to minimise the risk of losing an entire solera system in a single catastrophic event
The butts are spread out in different locations
What does flor feed off and what does it produce
Alcohol and O2 producing CO2 and acetaldehye
What is it that gives biologocally aged Sherry its unique characteristics
Acetaldehyde
What conditions does Flor require to thrive. What time of year does it grow most vigorously
ABV below 15.5, high humidity and cool temps
Spring and Autumn
What does the layer of flor protect the wine from
Oxidation
Why does flor require replenishment of nutrients
It is constantly consuming alcohol and and other nutrients so fresh wine needs to be added periodically to refresh these
What is done to replenish nutrients throughout the solera
Wine is drawn off at regular intervals throughout the year.
What is the typical average age of the biological wines in a solera. At what age do the nutrients in the oldest criadera ( solera ) drop to a level where the flor can fail and oxidation begins
3-4 years
7 years
Which wines are aged oxidatively
Olorosa, PX and some Muscat Sherry
Amontillado is aged oxidatively after a period of biological aging
How long are some oxidatively aged sherries aged. What happens to the ABV over time
Up to 30 years
ABV can rise to 22% as water evaporates
What is the main advantage of the solera system
It produces wines of consistent quality and style
True or False. Most sherry is a blend of wine from more than one Solera
True
What happens to the sherry before bottling
Fined and filtered
What are the dry styles of Sherry called. How have these been aged. What is their profile
Fino and Manzanilla
Biologically
Pale lemon with aromas of citrus fruit, almonds and herbs. Bready notes from the flor. Sometimes tangy or salty
How do the sherries from Sanlucar de Barrameda compare to Jerez. Explain any differences
The area is cooler and more humid so a thick layer of flor is present year round. This results in a more tangy flavor
What are sherries which have not been filtered or fined labelled as
en Rama
What is the name of the sherry which has undergone only oxidative aging. What is its profile
Oloroso
Deep brown, full bodied, toffee, leather, spice and walnut
What negative character can old oloroso develop. How is this mitigated
An astringency which can be neutralized by blending with younger wine
What are Amontillado’s, what is their profile
Biologically aged first then refortified to 17% to kill the flor and introduced into an Amontillado solera system.
Amber or brown, less full bodied than Oloroso, combine yeast derrived aromas with oxidative ones ( yeast aromas fade with age )
How are Palo Cortado sherries described.
Aromas of Amontillado and body and richness of Oloroso.
When are Palo Cortados sometimes identfied
At the second classification
Palo Cortados can be difficult to tell apart from Amontillados and Olorosos but what can be said about them
They are almost always of very high quality
What kind of aging occurs in naturally sweet wines
Oxidative
What is the profile of PX
Deep brown lusciously sweet ( 500 g/l RS ), aromas of dried fruit, coffee and liquorice
What is the profile of Muscat Sherry
Same as PX but with a dried citrus peel character
What are the 2 styles of sweetened sherry
Pale Cream
Medium and Cream
What are the best 2 of the 4 categories of Sherry with an Indication of Age. How old are they on average. What is the average age of the lesser categories
VORS - Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum ( very old rare sherry) - 30 years
VOS - Vinum Optimum Signatum ( very old sherry ) - 20 years
15 and 12 years
What style of sherry is permitted to qualify for age indicated status
Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and PX
Describe the aging of Pale Cream sherry. How is it sweetened
Short biological prior to sweetening with RCGM. Rarely have a pronounced flor character
Describe the aging process of medium sherry and Cream sherry. How are the premium wines in this category sweetened
Biological and Oxidative / Oxidative only
Sweetened with PX sherry
What do the best meduim and cream sherries taste like
They balance the toffee, leather and walnut flavor of the dry wine with the dried fruit notes of the sweet wine
True or false. The terms Oloroso, Amontillado and Palo Cortado can be used for either dry or sweet wines
False. Dry only as a result of recent law changes
In general how are Ports made
By adding grape spirit to a fermenting wine
True or false. Port can be made in red, white and rose styles
True
Between what 2 coastal cities is the Port industry divided. They are on opposite sides of which river
Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia
River Douro
The vineyard area of Port production is divided into what 3 areas. What are they recognized for
Baixo Corgo - lightest wines
Cima Corgo - biggest number top vineyards
Douro Superior - also top quality
Broadly speaking what is the climate. The region is shielded from the cool rain bearing Atlantic winds by what geographic feature. What is the climate variation between the 3 regions
Warm continental.
Serra do Marao mts
Baixo Corgo in the W is coolest and wettest. Increasing heat and dryness the further east you go
What do Port growers have to contend with in terms of adverse weather
Frost in spring and heavy rainfall during flowering and harvest. Summers are very hot and dry
What allows viticulture to be possible in the adverse summer weather conditions
Schist bedrock that is fractured vertically allowing roots to travel deep accessing water reserves built up over the winter.
Describe the topography of the Baixo and Cima Corgo regions
Vines planted on the tall steep slopes on the banks of the Douro river. Some site deliberately use North facing slopes to avoid the scorching sun
What are the terraces on the steep banks of the Douro known as. What are they supported by
Socalos. Stone walls
What are the newer system of Douro terraces that allow some level of mechanisation called. What allows the mechanisation
Patamares
The terraces are built wide enough to allow access by a tractor
What is the name for the unterraced system used in Port. When is it possible to use this. How are the vines planted and accessed
Vinha ao alto may be used when the slope is not too steep
Vines are planted up and down the slope and accessed via roads that cut across the slope from where machinery is operated by winches
What is the downside of the vinha ao alto and patamare systems
They are prone to errosion
What are the 5 varietals preferred for premium Port production in Douro. What do they have in common
Touriga Nacional Touriga Franca Tinta Roriz Tinta Cao Tinta Barroca Thick skinned, high in tannin, black fruit and floral aromas
How long does a Port fermentation typically last. At what ABV is the wine fortified
24 - 36 hours. 5 - 9 % ABV
Why are the typical extraction methods used for regular wine not practical for Port
The short ferment time does not allow sufficient extraction of color and tannin
What special techniques are employed to speed up the extraction process in Port production
Foot Treading
Autovinifiers
Piston Plungers and Robitic Lagares
Describe the process of foot treading
Large teams of workers tread the grapes for 3-4 hours in large shallow granite troughs called Lagares. Once fermentation begins the treading stops and the cap is regularly punched down
Describe Autovinification
Ferment occurs in a sealed vessel. As CO2 pressure rises the liquid is forced up through pipes into a holding tank. Once pressure is built up enough it is released and the liquid falls back down over the cap and the process starts over.
How often might the autovinification cycle occur when the ferment is very active. What does this mean in terms of skin contact compared to pumping over
Every 15 - 20 mins
Skin contact is much higher than pumping over
How do Piston Plungers work
Round shallow open top SS tanks where the cap is pushed down with robotic pistons
What is a robotic lagar
Shallow rectangular SS tank around the same size as a traditional lagar. It carries a self propelled gantry with the feet imitating the motion of human feet. Once ferment is done the tanks carry out regular punch downs
to what level is port normally fortified
19 - 22 % ABV
what does the timing of Port fortification depend on
the must weight and the desired sweetness of the wine
what is the name given to the spirit used to fortify Port. What is its max allowable strength. What does this mean in terms of the amount that is needed for fortification. How much of the finished wine is spirit
agurardente. 77% ABV
Requires a significant amount of spirit. 20% of the finished wine will be spirit. ( 3.5% for Fino sherry )
In what location is Port generally matured - why
Vila Nova de Gaia. The coastal climate is cooler and more suited to the slow maturation of port
Which wines do not follow this trend of maturing in VNdeG and remain in Douro. What is the effect
Wines destined for Tawny Port. The wines mature more quickly in the higher temps and lose color as a result
What 2 styles of red port are a direct consequence of the vessel selected for aging
Tawny and Ruby Port
True or False. Many ports are aged in new oak
No - new oak flavors are not desirable in any Port
What styles of Port are bottled after a relatively short aging process in large oak vats or SS vessels. Why
Ruby, Reserve Ruby, LBV and Vintage Ports
To minimise exposure to O2 and maximise the primary fruit character
Of the Ports which are aged non oxidatively which are fined and filtered. Do these benefit from bottle age. What is their flavor profile
Roby, Reserve Ruby and some styles of LBV
Primary fruit, concentrated,
Which ports are not filtered or fined before bottling. Do these benefit from bottle aging ?
Some LBV ports and all Vintage ports. These benefit from long bottle aging
What flavors do long bottle aged vintage ports have
Garnet color, tertiary cooked fruit and vegetal notes ( prune, leather, wet leaves )
In contrast to Ruby and vintage ports describe the aging process of tawny ports. What are the barrels called that are used
Long oxidative aging process
Pipes
What happens to the color and flavor of tawny Ports over time during maturation. Do these benefit from filtration and bottle aging
They go from ruby to garnet to tawny in color. Fruit flavors fade and becomes raisiny and is accompanied by flavors of coffee, caramel, chocolate, and walnuts
The wines do not need filtering and do not benefit from bottle age
Describe inexpensive Ruby port
blend of wines that are between 1 - 3 years old. Lack the complexity, concentration or tannins of premium ports
Describe inexpensive tawny port
These wines although tawny in color have not gone through an extensive oxidative again process. They are no older than cheap Ruby port
What options does a winemaker have for adjusting the color of cheap tawny port without aging it
Use of lighter wines from Biaxo Corgo
Blending in white port
Hot maturation in Douro
Heavy fining to remove color
What is reserve port
ruby or tawny port that is deemed by a panel to be of sufficient quality. Reserve tawny must be aged in wood for at least 6 years
What are LBV ports
VINTAGE wines that have undergone at least 4 - 6 years aging typically in large oak vessels prior to bottling. They are more approachable than Vintage Port on release. Filtered LBV is similar in style to high quality Reserve Ruby Port and will not need bottle age
Can unfiltered LBV be bottle aged
Yes. These are similar in style to Vintage ports
Which ports require decanting
Unfiltered LBV and Vintage
What are tawny ports with an indication of age. How can they be labelled
undergo a long period of maturation in pipes. They can be labelled as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old. This is an average age
What must be included on a label of a tawny port with indication of age - why
Year of bottling
Wine loses its freshness after bottling
what are tawny ports with indication of age considered to be
The best tawny ports
When must a producer declare an intention to release a vintage port and when must it be bottled
In the second year after harvest. Bottled in the third
Prior to bottling a vintage port how are they aged
in large oak or SS vats
Roughly how often is a vintage port released
perhaps 3 times a decade
when by general agreement of most producers was a vintage port released in the last 20 years (4)
2000, 2003, 2007 and 2011
What are single estate vintage ports labelled as
Single Quinta ( name of the estate or quinta appears on the label )
when would a large port producer with several quinta chose to release a vintage port / single quinta vintage. Which is considered higher quality
Vintage in the best years - single quinta vintage in the worst years.
Vintage is best
What is the profile of Muscat. Where does it grow best
Low to med acid with aromas of orange blossom and grape.
grows best on warm / hot sites with some kind of cooling mitigation to preserve acid and aromas
Describe youthful, unaged Muscat
Med gold in color, floral and aromatic, sweet but rarely luscious
Give an example of a youthful unaged Muscat
Muscat de Beaumes de Venise from S Rhone
Describe production of youthful unaged Muscat
Grapes picked ripe and not dried, Some skin contact prior to and perhaps during fermentation. Fermentation is cool and stopped by addition of 96% ABV grape spirit Stored in inert vessels prior to bottling
What is the overall strategy of a winemaker when making a youthful style of fortified muscat
To preserve the primary fruit and aroma character
What is an example of an aged Muscat in a luscious style. What color is it likely to be
Rutherglen in Australia
Amber or Brown
What determines the style of an aged Muscat
Timing of the harvest, when the wine is fortified and type of aging
Describe production of aged luscious Muscat
Grapes picked when ripe but some are allowed to raisinate ( not too much or Muscat character is obscured )
Fermentation on skins. If luscious style then ferment will be stopped at 2% ABV
Oxidative aging for decades in large old oak vats
Aged muscats develop what type of flavors. What is sometimes done prior to bottling some older Muscats
Pronounced oxidative flavors yet they still retain their Muscat character
Freshening of the wine by blending with a small amount of youthful wine
