Wset Advanced: Fortified Wines

Front 1

When does the fortification of Port occur?

Back 1

During fermentation

Front 2

What is the soil of the Douro?

Back 2

slate, schist and granite

Front 3

What are the key areas of the Douro?

Back 3

- Heartland in Pinhao
- Trade centered on Porto
- Cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia

Front 4

What is the climate of the Douro?

Back 4

- Protected from rain-bearing winds
- Dry and continental
- Very hot summers and cold winters
- Can be severe frosts in winter

Front 5

Describe the viticulture of the Douro.

Back 5

- Socalos: narrow terraces
- Patamares: broader terraces

Front 6

Describe the vineyard classification of the Douro.

Back 6

- Production tightly controlled
- Quinta given a quota every year (ensures do not produce more wine than can be sold)
- Rating from A - E based on various factors (75% in C&D)
- Affects quantity, price, style of Port that will be produced

Front 7

What are the factors that influence a quita's quota

Back 7

- Low yield
- Altitude
- Soil composition
- Location
- Training of vines
- Grape varieties planted
- Degree of slope
- Exposure to sun
- Spacing of vines
- Shelter from winds
- Age of vines

Front 8

Describe the vinification of Port.

Back 8

- Crushing (extraction of color and tannin)
- Was done by treading on grapes in lagares (now done by robotic lagares or by putting into autovinifiers)
- Fermenting must put into open top vats and cap regularly immersed
- Fortified during fermentation, depending on what degree of sweetness is desired
- Wine drwan off into casks to avoid the release of harsh tannin

Front 9

What are the preferred black grape varieties for Port and what are their characteristics?

Back 9

- Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo): low yields; adds finese
- Touriga Nacional: low yield, small berries; full-bodied and concentrated; rarity, high cost, high quality
- Touriga Franca: premium grape; robust with excellent perfume
- Tinta Cao: small bunches with tiny grapes; adds tannin
- Tinta Barroca: thick-skinned; soft, fruity

Front 10

Describe the maturation process for Port.

Back 10

- In spring following vintage, wine transferred to warehouses or lodges
- Most in Vila Nova de Gaia
- Milder, damper climate
- Stored traditionally in pipe (550 liters)

Front 11

Name the types of port.

Back 11

- White
- Ruby
- Reserve Ruby
- Tawny
- Reserve Tawny
- Tawny with an Indication of Age
- Crusted
- Late Bottled Vintage
- Colheita
- Vintage
- Single Quinta Vintage

Front 12

What is White Port?

Back 12

- Gold color
- Low acidity
- Range from off-dry to sweet
- Honey and nut aromas with deliberate oxidation
- 2-3 years in wood
- Mid to high priced

Front 13

What is Ruby Port?

Back 13

- Young
- Non-vintage
- Deeply colored
- Full bodied
- Generally less than 3 years old
- Inexpensive to mid priced

Front 14

What is Reserve Ruby Port?

Back 14

- Blend of higher quality wine from one of more vintages
- Cask-matured for up to 5 years before bottling
- Full bodied, richer, better integrated alcohol
- Mid priced

Front 15

What is Tawny Port?

Back 15

- Blend of Ruby and White Ports
- Pink rim
- Mid priced

Front 16

What is Reserve Tawny Port?

Back 16

- 7 years of maturation in cask
- Very soft and smooth
- Tawny (russet) rim
- Mid to high priced

Front 17

What is Tawny Port with an Indication of Age?

Back 17

- Labeled 10, 20, 30, 40 years old
- Age stated may be an average
- Label must state year of bottling
- Complex and concentrated
- Oxidative aging in cask gives browning and a loss of color and the development of aromas and flavors of walnuts, coffee, chocolate and caramel (with berry notes)
- High to premium priced

Front 18

What is Crusted Port?

Back 18

- High-qualitry ruby wines
- Bottled young
- Unfiltered
- Need decanting
- Premium priced

Front 19

What is Late Bottled Vintage Port?

Back 19

- Wine from a specific (not necessarily a declared) year
- Aged in cask for 4 - 6 years
- Traditional: bottled, unfiltered
- Modern: filtered before bottling
- Richer with more complex fruit than regular Ruby Ports
- May have tannic "grip"
- Label must include vintage year and year of bottling
- High to premium priced

Front 20

What is Colheita Port?

Back 20

- Single vintage
- Aged in cask until just before sale for a minimum of 8 years
- Very fine old Tawny Ports
- Label must give vintage, state aged in cask and when it was bottled
- Extremely expensive

Front 21

What are Vintage Ports?

Back 21

- Among longest-lived wines
- Exceptional products of a particular year from the best vineyards
- Bottled when 2 years old
- Full, rich, tannic when young
- Mature slowly
- Throws heavy deposit
- Each company decides whether it wishes to declare a vintage
- Extremely expensive
- Should be consumed within days

Front 22

What is Single Quinta Vintage Port?

Back 22

- Full Vintage Ports that are the product of a single estate
- Two groups:
1. Vineyards that will declare a vintage in best years
2. Shippers who use single quinta only in not quite so good years
- Premium priced

Front 23

Describe the climate, soils, and viticulture in Madeira.

Back 23

- very mountainous
- vineyards found on slopes in northern and southern coasts
- vines planted on pergolas
- rain falls on high ground
- irrigate using levadas
- warm and damp climate
- fungal disease is problem

Front 24

What are the main grapes of Madeira?

Back 24

- Tinta Negra Mole
- Sercial
- Verdelho
- Boal
- Malvasia (Malmsey)

Front 25

What are the characteristics of Tinta Negra Mole?

Back 25

- high yield
- sweet, pale red wine
- not used for higher quality wines

Front 26

What are the characteristics of Sercial?

Back 26

- grown on highest vineyards on north-facing slopes
- driest, palest wines
- very high acidity

Front 27

What are the characteristics of Verdelho?

Back 27

- planted on lower slopes
- medium-dry style
- stone fruit aromas

Front 28

What are the characteristics of Boal?

Back 28

- found on south side of the island
- medium-sweet wine with dry finish

Front 29

What are the characteristics of Malvasia (Malmsey)?

Back 29

- sweetest of all wines of Madeira
- high acidity
- smoky, burnt sugar aromas

Front 30

How are Madeiras described?

Back 30

- By degree of sweetness
- Their age
- Used to be by names of specific grapes
- But now, grape name can only be used if it is 85% of more of the wine

Front 31

Map the noble grapes designation of Madeira to sweetness levels.

Back 31

- Sercial = Dry
- Verdelho = Medium Dry
- Boal = Medium Sweet
- Malmsey = Rich

Front 32

When is Madeira fortified?

Back 32

- May be forified during or after fermentation
- Depends on producer and style of wine wish to make

Front 33

How is Madeira heated?

Back 33

- Highest quality are left on casks on racks (camteiros) for 3 months
- More commonly will spent at least 3 months in an estufa (either using large concrete tank or putting casks in a temperature-controlled room)

Front 34

Describe the age labeling for Madeira.

Back 34

Finest = 3 years old
Reserve = 5 years old
Special Reserve = 10 years old
Extra Reserve = 15 years old

Front 35

What is Vintage Madeira?

Back 35

- From just one of the noble grape varieties
- From a single year
- Must be aged in oak for at least 20 years
- Extremely expensive

Front 36

What are the three types of soil in areas that produce Sherry?

Back 36

Albariza, Arena, Barro

Front 37

Describe Albariza.

Back 37

Very compact soil with a high chalk content - good drainage while retaining moisture. Dries to hard crust, inhibiting evaporation. Grows finest grapes.

Front 38

Describe Arena.

Back 38

Contains iron oxide (russet-brown color). Subsoil often chalky. Wines lack subtely. Mainly planted with Moscatel grapes.

Front 39

Describe Barro.

Back 39

Dark clay. Richest soil on lower land. High yields with more body but less quality.

Front 40

What is the climate of Sherry producing areas?

Back 40

Hot Mediterranean. Average rainfall high for Spain, with most between October and May. Collection troughs dup between rows of vine. Very long ripening season.

Front 41

What is the viticulture in like for Sherry?

Back 41

Yields vary considerably and are directly related to rainfall during previous autumn and winter. Wire training more common. Trained using vara y pulgar (single-Guyot).

Front 42

What are the main grape varieties of Sherry?

Back 42

Palomino, Pedro Ximenez (PX), Moscatel

Front 43

Describe Palomino.

Back 43

More than 90% of area planted. Grown on Albariza. Thin-skinned. Picked by hand.

Front 44

Describe PX.

Back 44

Generally planted on Arena and Barro soils. Left to dry in sun on mats after picking to concentrate sugar levels. Used for sweetening purposes.

Front 45

Describe vinification for Sherry.

Back 45

Vintage begins first week of September. PX laid out to dry. Palomino pressed immediately. First 70% for Finos, next 20% for Olorosos. After that, for distillation. Acidification for 24 hours with sulfur dioxide for clarification. Fermentation in oak butts or stainless steel vats. Fermented dry except for PX and Moscatel. Classified into Fino vs. Oloroso. Fortification (14.5% - 15.5% for Finos and 18% for Olorosos). Enter Solera System.

Front 46

What is Flor?

Back 46

Natural yeast that reduces overall acidity of wine. Provides protective blanket on surface of the wine and prevents oxidization.

Front 47

Which types of Sherry develop flor?

Back 47

Fino, Amontillado, Manzanilla, Pale Cream

Front 48

What is the Solera System?

Back 48

Method of fractional dlending in which old wine is constantly refreshed with younger wine. Wine is taken from each butt in one criadera to be blended in to each butt of the next.

Front 49

What is Anada?

Back 49

Young wine before maturation and blending. Finos split between Finos and Amontillados.

Front 50

What is a Criadera?

Back 50

Series of butts arranged by age. Blended wines from each earlier criadera.

Front 51

What is a Solera?

Back 51

The oldest criadera. Bottling comes from here, but no more than a third can be taken.

Front 52

What happens to criadera once wine required for bottling?

Back 52

Wine for bottling taken out of the solera. Equal amount drawn from each of the butts in the solera. Replaced with an equal amount from each butt in the next oldest criadera (and so on) with the youngest being topped up from the anada.

Front 53

What are the styles of Sherry?

Back 53

Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, PX, Cream, Pale Cream

Front 54

Describe Fino Sherry.

Back 54

Pale in color, light, dry, clean. Low in alcohol.

Front 55

Describe Manzanilla Sherry.

Back 55

Fino Sherry aged in bodega in Sanlucar. Cooler climate allows flor to remain active throughout year. Delicate, salty tang.

Front 56

Describe Amontillado.

Back 56

Aged Fino or Manzanilla from which Flor has died away. Fortified slightly higher in alcohol. Browny-yellow, dry, with nutty flavors from flor.

Front 57

Describe Palo Cortado.

Back 57

Very rare. When Fino fails to sustain Flor. Similar aroma and flavors to Amontillado but has full body of dry Oloroso.

Front 58

Describe Oloroso.

Back 58

Full-bodied, russet colored. Oxidized from beginning. Robust, savory, meaty, nutty. Can be sweetened with PX (raisin and prune).

Front 59

What is Cream Sherry?

Back 59

Olorosos sweetened with PX or other sweetening agents. May have components of Fino, Manzanilla, and Amontillado Sherries in blend.

Front 60

Describe PX Sherry.

Back 60

Produced from sun-dried grapes. Flavors of grapes, raisins, dried figs. Very dark and extremely sweet.

Front 61

What is Pale Cream Sherry?

Back 61

Fino that has been sweetened by the addition of concentrated grape juice. Light in color, medium-bodied, with sweet grapey flavors.

Front 62

Describe Age-Dated Sherries.

Back 62

Categories VOS and VORS created to indicate solera wines where bottled product as minimum average age of 20 and 30 years. Age dates categories for 15 and 12 year old wines created for Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, and PX.

Front 63

What is the climate of Montilla-Moriles?

Back 63

Southern Continental (hot summers, cool winters). Higher rainfall.

Front 64

What soils are there in Montilla-Moriles?

Back 64

Alberos (chalky) and ruedos (reddish and compact)

Front 65

What is the main grape of Montilla-Moriles?

Back 65

PX

Front 66

Describe vinification in Montilla-Moriles.

Back 66

Free run juice for Finos. First pressing for Olorosos. Second pressing is distilled. Fermentation in concrete. Flor occurs in some casks, producing Fino-style wine. Aging in solera system. Wines are naturally higher in alcohol so do not usually fortify.

Front 67

Describe the conditions of Sherry trade.

Back 67

Dominated by brands owned by major Sherry houses. Have bodegas. Most own vineyards but may buy grapes and must. Vineyard owners may have grouped themselves into co-operative cellars. Also have Almacenistas whi are vineyard owners who make and age their own wines but do not bottle or market them themselves.

Front 68

What is a VDN?

Back 68

Grape spirit is added to partially fermented must to make sweet wine. Bottled young and derive flavor from their grapes.

Front 69

What grapes are common for VDNs?

Back 69

Muscat and Grenache

Front 70

Name appellations for VDNs in the Rhone.

Back 70

Muscat Beaumes de Venise and Rasteau

Front 71

Name appellations for VDNs in the Languedoc-Rousillion.

Back 71

Muscat de Rivesaltes, Banyuls

Front 72

Describe Rutherglen Muscat.

Back 72

Fortified wine made from Muscat Blanc in north-east Victoria, Australia. Alcohol added before fermentation complete. Aged in solera system. Intense, full-bodied, dried fruit, cooked fruit, caramel, toffee, nuts, coffee.