Key Choices: Style, Quality, Price Flashcards
(32 cards)
What are the main considerations of choosing a grape variety for fortified wine? (4)
Flavor/Aroma character: Strong or neutral?
Acid: High or Low
Color: Intense or lighter (for meeting visual expectations regarding age)
Tannin: Wine built for aging or younger drinking
What 2 examples are given in the reading of how vineyard site affects the regions’ resulting wines?
Port: vineyard sites are scored based on location, aspect, and latitude, informing how much port can be produced from that site
Muscat VdN: Muscat de Frontignan is at a lower altitude that Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois and produces riper flavors
When is Noble Rot considered beneficial for fortified wine production?
Never. Growers will pick before increased risk of rain in Autumn
When do growers for Sherry pick Palomino? Why?
Just at or just after it reaches minimum alcohol level.
Health of fruit and alcohol levels are more important to control than unripe fruit flavors (its a neutral variety anyways)
Why do growers of PX, Moscatel, and Rutherglen Muscat allow grapes to hang for longer?
To result in wines with very high levels of residual sugar
How long is the maceration period of a typical red fortified wine? Why?
2-3 days.
Fermentation is halted halfway through to preserve sugar. Maceration must be kept short.
Which white fortified wines might receive a period of skin maceration? Why?
Madeira, Muscat VdNs, White Port.
It adds body, texture and extracts more flavor compounds.
Why do biologically aged sherries not receive skin maceration?
The phenolic compounds can hinder the formation of flor
Why does the timing of fortification matter?
It controls the level of RS present in the wine
What is the ABV of most fortifying spirits? Why?
95-96% ABV
- Spirits with that high of an ABV are neutral in flavor and aroma
- Minimizes the amount of spirit needed to reach desired fortification (less dilution of wine)
Aguardente (the spirit used to fortify Port) contains what ABV? Why is this important?
77% (+/-0.5%)
Aguardente will have a stronger flavor/aroma character than a neutral fortifying spirit.
More Aguardente will be needed to fortify than a higher ABV spirit, so its flavor/aroma character is an important consideration for the resulting wine.
How would the spirit used to fortify red and rose port differ?
Rose might use a more neutral, subtle spirit that won’t mask its more delicate flavor.
Red Port can handle more aromatic spirits.
Why would some fortified wines be released earlier than others?
Preserving primary aromas/flavors (NV ruby/white/rose port, Muscat VdN)
What styles of fortified wines are bottled early (a few years of aging) with the intention of aging?
Vintage and LBV Port
What styles of wine are aged oxidatively?
Tawny Port, some Sherry, Rutherglen Muscat, some VdN Muscat, Madeira
What kinds of vessels are oxidatively aged fortified wines matured in?
Small oak vessels with varying amounts of topping-up
What does it mean to age a fortified wine biologically?
Aged under a layer of flor
What does flor generally do to a wine?
Protects from oxygen
Lowers levels of glycerol -> less viscous, lighter body
Acetaldehyde contributes flavors of hay, apple skin, bread dough, nuts
What is “Maderisation”?
The process of heating and oxidizing wine
What does “rancio” mean?
A tasting note used to describe a flavor profile found in some styles of oxidized wine. Leather, wood varnish, strong coffee, nutty and rancid butter.
Comes from a combo of compounds from wood vessels, oxygen and time
What are the main reasons blending is so important to the production of fortified wines?
- Balance
- Style
- Complexity
- Consistency
- Volume
- Price
How does balance factor into blending?
- High alcohol must be balanced by other factors
- Blending younger and older wines keeps a sense of freshness while having complexity from older flavors
In what regions is blending older and younger wine particularly notable?
Sherry and Rutherglen
What is “static maturation”?
The practice of maturing wine from different vintages separately
