Portugal & Port Flashcards
(45 cards)
What are the two main grapes of Port?
Touriga Nacional & Malvasia
Where is Port located in
Duoro valley
what is the viticulture like in Port?
- steep, terraced vineyards parallel to the Duoro River, “Patameres” is the most common, terraces are wide enough for a tractor to go through
- a new style called “Vinhos ao Alta” plants the vineyards vertically up the slopes.
- all hand harvested
what is the best soil for port?
schist
what are quintas in port?
single vineyards
Describe the vinification of port?
- blend of many different grape varieties
- destemmed (fully or partially)
- traditionally grapes were foot crushed & fermented in low open top granite fermentors called “lagares”
- 2-3 day maceration in the lagares, the goal is to extract color & flavor in a short period of time
- wines are fortified when about 1/3 of the sugar content has been converted to alcohol (this process is called Beneficio aka. mutage in France)
- wines are fortified with aguardiente to 19%-22%
what is beneficio
fortification of wine with a neutral grape spirit, aka mutage in France
what does aguardente mean
burning water
what are the two main styles of port
Ruby & Tawny
What are the different styles of Ruby Port
- Ruby Port
- Ruby Reserver Port
- Vintage Port
- Single Quinta Vintage Port
- Late-Bottled Vintage Port
Describe Ruby Port
- often aged in bulk, (wood, cement or stainless steel), for 2 years before bottling
- wine is uncomplicated, deeply color & inexpensive
- no vintage date
describe ruby reserve port
offers more complexity & character than basic ruby port
describe vintage port
- most expensive style of port only making up 1-3% of production
- vintages are only declared in exceptional years & must be authorized by the IVDP
- aged in cask before bottling by July 30 of the third year following harvest
- will continue to develop in the bottle for decades
describe single Quinta vintage port
- the product of one estates harvest
- if a Port House cannot call all of their harvest vintage they will release a single estate vintage
describe Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port
- spend between 4-6 years in cask before bottling
- always from one single vintage
describe the basic style of Tawny Port
- cask-aged, which helps develop more complex tones of toffee, dried fruits & toasted nuts
- naturally develops lighter, amber tones of color as it ages in wood
Name the different types of Tawny Port
- Tawny Port
- Reserve Tawny
- Tawny with Indication of Age
- Colheita Tawny
describe Reserve Tawny
- ages for at least 7 years prior to bottling
- blended from several vintages & retain some youthful freshness while gaining a hint of the creamy, delicate nature of a true old Tawny
- will not improve with bottle age
describe tawny with indication of age
- may be labeled as 10, 20, 30 or 40 years old
- progressively more concentrated & developed character reaching a pronounced oxidation “rancio” state by 40 yrs of age
- high quality fruit & are matured in seasoned wood
- racked once annually, freshened w/ addtl spirit or wine as evaporation occurs naturally & often blended together before bottling
- an approximation of age of the blended wines in a bottle
describe Colheita Tawny
vintage-dated Port that spends a min. of 7 years in cask, many stay in for decades
Describe the climate of Vinho Verde
along Atlantic Coast, with influences from Minho River
-cool rainy & maritime
Describe the soil of Vinho Verde
granitic
What grapes are predominately in Vinho Verde Blends
Alvharino, Lourerro, Treixadura
Describe the viticulture of Vinho Verde
traditional “enforcado” were high trellised vines, some even grew up trees & poles to help prevent against grey rot & mold. Most modern producers use traditional trellises for efficiency
