Ch 43

Question 1

Criadera

Answer 1

the levels in the solera system that holds wine at the different ages

• but not the oldest level
• can be 3 or as many as 14 levels

Question 2

Solera System

Answer 2

-biological and oxidative aging
holds wine for different ages in butts
each level is a Criadera
maturing process involves moving wine between levels progressively older
final level = solera

Question 3

ageing vessel and aging environment

Answer 3

matured in 600 litre nutural barrels
oak allows oxygen to get to wine
5/6 fill
cool environment
bodega has high ceilings and windows that point toward the cooling poniat winds
building kept damp and humid

Question 4

fermentation fortification (sweet)

Answer 4

1st to achieve must weight

• grapes then pressed and fermented
• yeast struggles to get to a few degrees of ABV
• fortified to 17% once yeast stops

Question 5

grape handling (sweet)

Answer 5

once picked, grapes are sun dried to concentrate their sugar levels
and develops flavors of raisin

Question 6

Sobretabla (dry)

Answer 6

once the classification is done, wine is fortified

• set aside for a few months
• then incorporated into a solera

Question 7

during the fall, wines are classified into 2 types of wine (dry style)

Answer 7

Decision is based on flavor characteristic of base wine
BIOLOGICAL

OXIDATIVE

Question 8

describe wine classified as biological

Answer 8

light pale, more finesse
flor forms
typically grapes are sourced from coastal areas
fermented at low temp

Question 9

describe wine classified as oxidative

Answer 9

richer, heavier
flor forms (at this point)
typically grapes are sourced from inland vineyards and are fermented at high temp

Question 10

grapes handling and fermentation for dry style sherry

Answer 10

Palomino used
hot temp at harvest- grapes are rushed to press before oxidative 
-large stainless vessel 
ferment at 20-25 degrees C
Hot for white
Aim = neutral base wine
ABV 11-12

Question 11

what are the grapes used in Jerez

Answer 11

Palomino
Pedro Ximeez (PX)
Muscat of Alexandria- only small amounts grown

Question 12

Jerez soil

Answer 12

albariza soil
high chalk contact
good drainage but at depth hold water for summer
soil forms hard crust that limits evaporation

Question 13

climate of Jerez

Answer 13

hot sunny Mediterranean
vineyard along coast a little cooler
WEST WIND = Poniete cool
EAST WIND = levante hot
-rain is high but soil can cope

Question 14

what city produces sherry

Answer 14

Jerez de la Frontera
center of Industry
-matured w/i city limits or 2 sea side towns
Sanlucar de barraneda
El Puerto de Santa Maria

Question 15

Pedro Ximenez (PX)

Answer 15

little varietal flavor

• thin skin = ideal for dried
• used for sweet sherries
• most grape comes from Montilla-moriles

Question 16

Palomino

Answer 16

accounts for the vast majority of plantings
low acid
lacks varietal aroma
Ideal for Sherry, where style of wines are largely determined by either biological or oxidative maturation

Question 17

flor need what kind of environment to survive?

Answer 17

used for biological aging
# of yeast strands
needs precise cool temp and moderate humidity
ABV lower than 15.5
nutrients from the wine (feeds off alcohol) and oxygen
produces CO2 and acetaldehyde

Question 18

flor in a solera system

Answer 18

butt filled 5/6 full
easy access to oxygen
protect wine from oxidation
needs regular additions of new wine
wine drawn out of crideras and refilled
fino
survives for an average 3-4 years

Question 19

biological ageing (dry)

Answer 19

subretubla critical
wine is fortified 15 to 15.5 abv
develops flor correctly
2ns classification: did the wine have style and character suitable for solera system
Fail: refortified and send for oxidative ageing or reject completely

Question 20

oxidative ageing dry

Answer 20

wine is fortified to 17 percent
flor dies
soretabla not critical for quality
b/c no need to wait for flor to develop

Question 21

oxidatative ages is meant for what kind of wine

Answer 21

Olorso and PX and some muscats are aged this way w/o flor
Amontillado is aged ___ after a period of biological ageing
-introduction of young wine helps to preserve base character
Long term age up to 30 years, high ABV, concentrates as water evaporates

Question 22

blending

Answer 22

solera system produces consistent wine
still benefits of blending solera helps
blending can bring together intense flavors of very old wine which would other wise be unbalanced on their own

Question 23

Fining and filtration

Answer 23

most sherry will undergo but kept to a minimum

particularly for biological aged b/c vibrancy of flavors can be dulled

Question 24

name the naturally sweet style of sherry

Answer 24

Wines have gone through oxidative ageing
PEDRO XIMENEZ (PX)
-deep brown and luscious sweet
-dried fruit coffee licorice

MUSCAT
-retains varietal dried citrus peel character

Question 25

name the dry style of sherry

Answer 25

Fino and Manzanilla Oloroso Amonontillado Palo Cortado

Question 26

Name the sweetened styles of sherry

Answer 26

Pale cream medium cream

Question 27

describe fino and manzanilla

Answer 27

``` only biological age -pale lemon -citrus fruit, almonds, herbs, bready from flor -tangy and salty Does not improve / consume young -minimum fining and filtering ```

Question 28

describe olorsos

Answer 28

only oxidative age brown, full body oxidative aroma, toffee, leather, spice, walnut Concentrated develops as astringency/ balanced when blended

Question 29

describe amontillado

Answer 29

``` undergone biological followed by oxidative age refortified to 17 abv amber/ brown less full bodied combined yeast w/ oxidation ```

Question 30

describe palo cortado

Answer 30

defined as one that has the aroma character of an Amontillado but the richness of an Oloroso nearly always very high quality

Question 31

describe pale cream

Answer 31

sweetened style short biological age rectified concentrated grape must similar to fino but rarely have pronounced flor character

Question 32

describe cream style sherry

Answer 32

sweetened style only shows oxidative character sweetened w/ PX Best: toffee, walnut, leather from dry dried fruit from sweet

Question 33

describe medium style sherry

Answer 33

sweeten style must show character of biological and oxidative ageing sweetened w/ PX Best: toffee, walnut, leather from dry dried fruit from sweet

Question 34

4 categories of age indicated sherry

Answer 34

VORS- very old rare sherry (30 year) VOR- very old (20 year) 15 year -applies to whole solera system 12 year -applies to whole solera system