Ruby Port
5 styles
- Ruby
- Ruby Reserve
- Vintage
- Single Quinta Vintage
- Late Bottle Vintage
Tawny Port
4 Styles
- Tawny
- Reserve Tawny
- Tawny with Indication of Age
- Colheita Tawny
Port Branco
White grapes
6 preferred (main)
- Gouveio
- Malvasia Fina
- Viosinho
- Rabigato
- Escana Cao
- Folgasao
(15 authorized)
Preferred red grapes of Port
min 60% of blend:
- Touriga Nacional
- Touriga Francesa
- Tinta Cao
- Tinta Roriz
- Tinta Barroca
- Tinta Amarela
- Tinta Francisca
- Bastardo
- Mourisco Tinto
lei do tergo
‘law of the third’
- restricts sales of Port to 1/3 house’s total inventory, annually
patamares
Wide terraces that allow for tractors, in the Douro
Supported by banks of schist (not dry stone walls)
- 1980s:
- 2 row patamares developed (schist banks, not stone walls), more economical
- allowed mechanization
- considered worst type, not built in 20 years, suffers erosion
- Single-row patamares = modern version
Declared Port vintages
- 2011 *
- 2009
- 2008 worst of best, not widely declared, cool, low yields
- 2007*
- 2003
- 2000*
- 1994* a highlight of century
- 1985*
- 1977*
- 1970*
- 1966*
- 1955*
- 1948*
- 1935*
- 1927* best of century
- 1912* second only to ‘27
- *BEST! PERFECT RATINGS
- before 1990, usually only 3 declared per decade
lagares
open granite troughs - traditionally used for the fermentation of port
3 different sizes in Port Pipes
- Douro = 550L
- Vila Nova do Gaia = 620L
- for shipping, must be = 534.24L
Max yield for red and white Port
- White / Branco: 65 hl/ha
- Red / Tinto: 55 hl/ha
Port
RS Levels
All Port: min. 17.5 g/l rs
- Extra-Seco: 17.5 - 40 g/l rs
- Seco: 40-65 g/l rs
- Meio Seco: 65-85 g/l rs
- Doce: 85-130 g/l rs
- Muito Doce (Very Sweet): min. 130 g/l rs
Port Styles
- Vinho Licoroso
- White / Branco
- Rosé / Rosado
- Ruby
- Tawny
Port
Min. Alcohol
19-22%
- except Porto Branco Leve Seco, min 16.5%
Port
Soils
Schist
Porto DOP
Year Est.
1986
- Region 1st demarcated in 1756
- 1907 + 1908 substantial legislative revisions and regulation of Port wine trade
Port
Min. Planting Density
4,000 vines / ha
- min. 3,000 vines / ha for vines planted before 1998 or vines on patamares (wide terraces supported by banks of schist)
Port
Special Categories / Aging Requirements
- Vintage
- Must be bottled by July 30th, 3rd yr post harvest, may be sold May 1st, 2nd yr post harvest
- Late-Bottled-Vintage (LBV)
- Aged in cask min 4 yrs, must be bottled by Dec 31st, 6th yr post harvest
- “Envelhecido em garrafa” (bottle-matured) - aged an additional 3 yrs in bottle
- Colheita
- Tawny, single-vintage, aged in cask min 7 yrs
- 10/20/30/ + 40 Years Old
- ”Velho” - 10-30 yrs old, “Muito Velho” (very old) - over 40 yrs old
- Crusted
- Wines matured and has left sediment in bottle
- Reserva/Reserve
- “Ruby” - no min aging, greater quality - if “Tawny”, must be cask-aged 7 yrs
Port
Year 1st demarcated
1756
- 1907 + 1908: substantial legislative revisions and regulations
- DOC est: 1986
Port
Vintage
Port Vintage
- Must be bottled July 30, 3rd yr after harvest
- May be sold May 1, 2nd yr after harvest
Port
Late-Bottled-Vintage (LBV)
LBV
- Aged in cask min 4 yrs
- Bottled before Dec. 31, 6th yr after harvest
- “Envelhecido em garrafa” (bottle-matured), aged an additional 3 yrs in bottle
Port
Colheita
Colheita
- Tawny
- Single vintage
- Aged min 7 yrs in cask
Port
10/20/30/+ 40 Years Old
10/20/30/+ 40 Years Old
- 10-30 yrs old - may be labeled “Velho”
- 40 + yrs old - may be labeled “Muito Velho” (very old)
Port
Crusted
Crusted
- Matured and has left sediment in the bottle
Port
Reserva / Reserve
Reserva / Reserve
- “Ruby” - greater quality, does NOT carry aging requirement
- “Tawny” - cask-aged min 7 yrs
