1
Q
Touriga Nacional
A
- black grape
- small berries in duoro and dao regions (origin)
- vine is vigorous and robust
- low yielding (prone to coulure)
- high color
- high tannin
- finest grape but takes up low % of plantings
- clonal selection over the years has helped (higher sugar levels and more productive)
2
Q
Red grapes used in port
A
- Touriga Nacional
- Touriga Franca
- Tinta Roriz
- Tinta Barroca
- Tinta Cao
3
Q
White grapes used in port
A
- Malvasia Fina
- Gouveio
- Viosinho
4
Q
Touriga Franca
A
- black grape
- Touriga Francesa
- most widely planted in Duoro
- 35.5k acres
- not as concentrated as Nacional but high tanning and color
- more succeptible to rot
- favored because of consistent yields (unlike Nacional)
- very perfumy/aromatic and persistent fruit
- one of the best port varieties
- best if planted on south facing slopes (needs warmer sites to fully ripen)
5
Q
Tinta Roriz
A
- red grape
- tempranillo
- lightweight grape
- adds finesse to blends
- most planted variety next to Franca in Duoro
- easy to grow
- tends to over produce
- ## performs best in years where yields are inheritently low
6
Q
Tinta Cao
A
- red grape
- top quality
- almost disapperaed from Duoro until recognized as top 5 grapes for port
- not the deepest in color
- not really productive / low yielding
- rare
- high is extract
7
Q
Tinta Barroca
A
- red grape
- high must weights
- high levels of color, tannin, and acidity
- ripens early
- prefers cooler sites
- thick skinned
- 3rd most planted in Douro
- 13k acres
- favored for high yields, high sugar
- planted on higher north facing slopes
- prone to mildews
- easily damaged by heat
- berries have tendency to shrivel (hence cooler sites)
- well structured but jammy and rustic
- popular for fortified port like wines in South Africa
8
Q
Gouveio
A
- white grape
- grown in douro
- local name for Godello grape
- tangy grape
9
Q
Malvasia Fina
A
- white grape
- most important true Malvasia
- grown in Douro
- also known as Boal
- 7.5k acres
10
Q
Viosinho
A
- white grape
- aromatic
- good at higher elevations
- grown in douro
- traditional constituent of white port
- low yielding and has a tendency to oxidize
- generally blended w/ rabigato and gouveio (godello)
- 2k plantings in 2012
11
Q
Port styles: Ruby
A
- named after it’s youthful color
- the most simple
- deep color, fruity aromas, some body and structure
- not too tannic
- usually made up of blend from more than one year, aged in bulk for less than three years and bottled young to capture it’s young essence
- aged either in balseiros, cement vats or stainless
- ## racking kept to a minimum to avoid oxidation characters
12
Q
Port styles: Tawny
A
- implies aged in wood for longer than a ruby and has a tawny hue
- not always the case as some are aged the same as rubies
- these innexpensive tawnies are from the Baixo Corgo, a lighter port
- heavy fining is used to adjust the color and some add carmelized grape must to artificially mature color aroma, and flavor
- many spend the summer up in the douro being stewed by the heat and ambient heat of the cement vats
- tawnies see wood on accident usually giving a brown tinge on the rim. usually softer than rubies
- distinguished from wood matured tawnies in that they do not have an indication of age
13
Q
Port styles: Rose port
A
- new category by Croft in 2008
- at first classified as a light ruby
- most shippers make a Rose port but the style and colors vary along with the flavors
- captured a new and younger section of the market
- marketed as served in the summer over ice or as a mixer
14
Q
Port styles: White Port
A
- characterless grapes and heavy handed vinification produce insipid and extractive wines
- some aged in wood but most dry white ports kept in stainless steel before bottling
- there’s a shortage of white grapes
- range of styles including Lagrima (unctuous, means tears because of viscosity) to sweet, medium sweet, dry, extra dry.
- most white ports fortified to 19-22% abv
- usually served chilled as an aperatif
- market exists in portugal, holland, france and benelux (belgium, netherlands, luxembourg)
15
Q
Port special categories: Reserve
A
- category approved in 2002
- means a wine of good quality obtained by blending wines of different ages which creates a wine with complex aroma and flavor with special organaleptic characteristics
- if deep deep red or youthful red in color can be called reserve ruby
- most wines in this category can be described as premium ruby
- made from better grapes, possibly aged longer
- it’s a reflection of quality not age
- must seek approval from the IVDP tasting panel if they wish to use the the term on the label
- important category for all port shippers
- strong sales in english speaking markets
- rich, ripe, spicy berry fruit and in some cases, bold tannins
16
Q
Port special categories: LBV
A
- a wine from a single year bottled between 4-6 years after the vintage (compared to a maximum of 2 years for vintage port)
- evolved by default
- many port sat maturing until it found a buyer
- claimed to be invented by Noval when it applied it to a wine from 1954 vintage but listed it in the year 1961.
- style popularized by Taylor with first official 1965 LBV launched in 1970
- all port shippers jumped on board and became a great sell to english speaking markets as “vintage” commands premium prices
- 3 different styles of LBV: must be single harvest (not necessarily declared vintage), bottled between July 1 in the 4th year after the respective harvest and 31st December in the 6th year.
- kept in large vats to avoid oxidation (balseiros or stainless)
- fining, filtering and cold stabilization led to no decanting
- this is great for restaurants however this heavy handed filtration has stripped character of the wine and left you with little more than a ruby reserve with a date attached
- traditional LBV’s which are not filtered and fined in the 1990’s. usually more full bodied and can age up to 5 more years in bottle
- driven cork
- will eventually throw some sediment
- since 2002 some can qualify as bottle aged and labeled as such as long as it’s been in the bottle for atleast 3 years and cannot be sold until such time has passed
- Warre has made this
- share the depth, intensity and maturity of vintage ports at half the price and should be decanted
17
Q
Port special categories: Crusted Port
A
- due to deposits of crust the bottle throws
- recent creation and a poor man’s vintage port at half the price
- much closer in style to vintage ports that LBV
- dense concentrated wines
- wines from 2-3 harvests are aged in wood for up to two years and bottled without filtering or fining
- date of bottling must appear on label
- most ready to be drunk around 6 years
- can be kept for even longer periods though
18
Q
Port special categories: Tawny w/ age indication
A
- most tawnies bottled with an age indication, 10, 20, 30
- all tawny ports are a complex blend of wines from a number of different years
- age indication is nothing more than an approximation
- can be velho “old” or if over 40, muito velho “very old”
- selected among the finest ports
- mostly sourced from A-B grade vineyards in the Cima Corgo or Douro Superior (some from the Baixo Corgo)
- elegence, finesse, structure and all have a house style
- ageing process the most important part
- in lodge pipes 600 litres, wine undergoes oxidation and esterificationas color fades.
- ethyl esters and acetals develop and are influenced by the ambient storage temperature and rate of evaporation
- tawny matured in Douro goes through a much more rapid maturation process than those in the cooler Vila Nova de Gaia lodges (annual evaporate between 1-2%).
- a higher rate of evaporation (3%) can be good as it concentrates the natural sugars and high temps produce whines with distinctive toasted richness
- On quinta said keeping wines up in Douro accelerates aging by about 30%
- some shippers deliberately use a component of Douro matured wines in their aged tawnies
- racking regimen is important
- tasting and blending is a continous process
- lighter earlier wines go to tens while more rich, structured wines go to older twawines
- stocks of old tawnies driven by anticipated sales
- end result could be 50 wines with younger and older combined balancing fruit w/ secondary notes
19
Q
10 year old tawny
A
- still brick red
- amber tawny rim
- rich raisin and sultana character
- touch of toasty complexity for wood
- peppery tannin on finish
20
Q
20 year old tawny
A
- epitome of balance and poise
- primacy of fruit and secondary toasted almond and brazil nut
- slightly sweeter than 10yr
- greater concentration of sugars
- color ranges from tawny pink to pale amber orange, olive green tinge on the rim
- these are favored to include some of that douro bake
21
Q
30 year old tawny
A
- orange amber tawny to pale mahogany with olive green rim
- really complex
- marked roasted coffee notes
- raisin like richness
- sweetness on the verge of unctous
- rustic , high toned, sometimes vinegar like aromas, could be the wines heading downhill
- bottled in very small quantites, only about a few hundred cases a year
22
Q
40 year old tawny
A
- amber tawyn to deep mahogany with olive green rim
- matured and roasted
- toasted almonds and well done toast
- freshly roasted coffee on the nose
- marmalade, candied peel with some rancio characer
- some cloying
- expensive and tiny quantities
23
Q
Port special categories: Colheita
A
- means harvest
- product of a single harvest but the wine is aged in wood for a minimum of seven years by which is will have taken on oxidative and tawny tones
- most aged considerably longer
- take on secondary aromas and flavors
- are constantly topped up due to loss of evaporation
- lose color but gain richness, sweetness and intesity the longer they sit in wood
- not blended so they can be tired by the time they get to bottling
- two dates appear on the label: year of harvest and year of bottling
- wine will not generally improve in the bottle so the bottling year is important
24
Q
Port special categories: White port w/ indication
A
- wood ageing lends character to the wine, turning it tawny and flavor with age
- old white ports can be part of an aged tawny blend
- can be marketed as 10,20,30,40
25
Vintage port
- only accounts for a tiny fraction of shipments
- flagship of entire trade
- wines from a single year are bottled, no treatment or filtration, after spending a maximum of 2 years ageing in bulk
- skill is in the selection of the lotes made from the finest grapes picked at the optimum ripeness after a good growing season
- most come from the same grapes and plots year after year
- kept in balseiros to prevent undue oxidation (some in stainless)
- shippers have 2 years to declare a vintage
- on average 3-4 years are declared in a decade
- size of declaration depends on the year and the market
- can age in bottle 15-20+ years
- some shippers have produced more forward drinking vintage ports to sooth the American palate of not wanting to wait
- wines are bottled as soon as they are approved
- can be bottled at any time until the 31st of July in the 3rd year after harvest.
- wines may be shipped any time after the 2st of may of the 2nd year
26
Touriga Nacional
- low yielding
- high color
- high tannin
- concentrated flavors
- finest grape but occupies little vineyard plantings
- when phyloxerra hit, this suffered because of it's low yield property and lack of good rootstock availability, increased it's probability of poor fruit set.
- almost extint by the late 70's
- clonal selection helped w/ it's comeback in the 1980's grown in Cima Corgo and Douro Superior
- it's high vigor and is succeltible to cool, damp weather during flowering
- Cockburns said to have the greatest number of plantings
- easily over ripens
- small and thick skinned berries
- produces the most concentrated of wines
- capable of high alc levels
- distinctive floral aromas, violets and bergamot
- essential in all of the vintage ports
- again, yields are variable, too high alt not good for it either (like douro superior - best at Cima Corgo)
- prone to coulure
- make it unpopular for growers
- know as a winemakers grape than a growers grape
- deep color
- naturally unproductive but high vigor
- pain to manage in the vineyard
- best of all port grapes
- clonal selection is key
- has tiny berries
- succeptible to coulure
- ripens early
- produces black wines with high aromatics
- great extract and high tannin
- prefers hotter situations
- poor pollinator so yields are naturally low
- vine is highly vigorous though (hence the battle for which gets the nutrients)
- goal is to increase plantings and increase sugar content overall for quality purposes
- best clone selection now is R110
27
Touriga Franca
- also known as Touriga Francesa
- member of the Touriga family
- high quality grape variety
- usefull for filling the gaps in vineyards between vines that either like hot or cool situations
- gives fruit and aroma to the blend
- 2nd most widely planted grape
- more common of the touriga's
- 35k acres planted
- best planted on the warmer south facing slopes
- not as concentrated as nacional
- is succeptible to more rot though (not good as cooler damp weather is possible during flowering
- it is favored by growers though for it's consistent yields and respected for it's perfume and persistent fruit
- accidental crossing of Touriga Nacional and Mourisco / Marufo (known as a light colored grape sometimes favoreed for lighter tawny ports)
- liked by both growers and winemakers
- hardy varietly and likes the heat
- pretty disease resistant and consistent yields
- it too is an excessively vigorous vine and can fail to fully ripen and will achieve lower sugar levels if yield is too high or the local climate not ideal.
- at higher altitudes. sugar levels really suffer to even get to 11 Baume
- requires a lot of work to extract color and tannin from these thick skinned grapes in the winery
- more expressive than nacional in it's youth but cannot compete with nacional's depth and longevity
- does suffer from fluctuations in quality
- said to be like the cab / merlot of bordeaux
28
Tinta Cao
- meaning 'red dog'
- low yielding
- resistant to mildew and rot
- at one time a prized grape by british shippers but low yields and phyloxera nearly drove it to extinction
- resists heat better than any other port grape but ripens very late (almost as late as november)
- needs the very best exposure in order to balance the acidity and alcohol for which is it renowned
- adds complexity and finesse to the blend
- prefers cooler climates and requires training on wires to produce a decent crop
- growers no eager to cultivate since it doesn't fare well with traditional cultivation methods
29
Tinta Roriz
- tempranillo grape
- likes the heat
- and fares best on the sunniest rows of terraces cut into south or west facing slopes
- dark grape with thick skins that have a high sugar content, low acid and provides great color, tannin and succulence to a blend
- performs best at higher altitudes
- now the most planted grape
- planted mostly in Cima Corgo and Douro Superior
- easy to grow and tendency is to overproduce
- best quality in seasons when yields are inherintly low
- more of a growers grape
- buds late so it misses the spring frosts
- short vegtative cycle
- first to show stress from heat but ripens early and misses the autumn rains
- very sensitive to September rainfalls which can dilute the grape of color and strength
- quality can vary alarmingly so it's a pretty fickle grape
30
Tinta Barroca
- thinner skinned grape
- 3rd most planted grape in Douro
- favored by growers for yielding large quantities with really high levels of sugar
- widely planted to higher or northern facing slopes where other grapes most likely cannot ripen
- prone to both mildews and easily damaged by extreme heat
- berries have a tendency to shrivel on the vine
- provides structured wines that can be jammy and rustic
- mainly found in Cima Corgo
- earthy tones
- depending upon where grown, they can be pale in color to quite deep in color
- lose a considerable amount of color after 15 years in bottle
- best suited for more youthful or younger ports
- also used to dilute wines that are too tannic and distinctive
- similar to Tinta Cao in liking cooler, northerly facing sloped sites
31
Malvasia Fina
- white grape
- known as Boal in Madeira
- unstable variety which readily mutates
- leads to quality of wine varying from clone to clone
- moderately yielding but susceptible to odium and poor fruit set
- yields can then be variable
- soft, fat and honeyed
- has a tendency to shrivel and raisin on the vine
32
Gouveio
- white grape
- again highly unstable and mutates
- highly aromatic and high levels of acid
- hampered by low yields
- great for dry whites and ports
- mostly found interplanted within vineyards
33
Viosinho
- white grape
- best of the indegenous white grapes
- low yielding
- lack of acidity but performs well at higher altitudes
- undergoing clonal selection to boost yields
- very aromatic
- has a tendency to oxidize
- generally blended w/ gouveio and rabigato
34
Port vineyard districts
- Baixo Corgo
- Cima Corgo
- Douro Superior
All in the Douro valley in the north of portugal
35
Douro Valley climate
- continental
- summer dry and hot
- winters are mild and wet
- becomes more continental in the upper Douro valley where summers are extremely hot, rainfall is high and winters are very cold
36
Douro Valley soils
- patchwork of sun baked granite and schist soils
- port grown on the prized schist soils which dominate upriver
- table wines relegated to granite soils
37
Schist soil
- orientation tends to be vertical which is great for vine roots to penetrate and for rainwater to percolate through
- this is why vineyards are best suited here in the Douro instead of the granite that it sits on (granite is impenetrable)
- slate like and can be worked up into a coarse soil
- lumps of schist on the surface can shine like polished steel in the sunlight and both reflect and absorb heat and help w/ erosion during winter downpours
- fairly acid high in potassium but low in calcium and magnesium.
- can cause moromba which is a drying a curling of the leaves during the growing season
- this is alleviated by adding borax to the soil
- fertilizers are common to help balance the soil nutrition levels
- the Douro growing region has changed over the years but mainly follows the outline of schist
38
Port Viticulture and vinification
- terracing is widespread to make the most of the land
- very hard and expensive to manage
- current trend is to make wider terraces to enable mechanization
- socalcos, patamares, vina ao alto
- hard soils means blasting to enable planting
- Port wines made and vinified in Douro, most are blended and bottled in the lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia however this has been changing
39
Terracing methods
- Socalcos
- Patamares
- Vina ao Alto
40
Socalcos
- older walled terraces
- sometimes taking only 1-2 rows of vines (3-3.5k vines/ha)
- there are some that are 10 rows (5-6k vines/ha)(created after phyloxera and the replantings took place)
- yields are lower
- mechanization is impossible and very labor intesive
- found on gradients up to 70%
- eventually became un-economical
41
Patamares
- born out of the necessity for mechanization to bring back the port industry
- stone walls were impeding and ardous to craft to earth ramps were created in their place (talude)
- this allowed for mechanization (not just man and mule)
- at first rows were densly packed but the specialized tractors required to get through were top heavy and would result in them toppling down the hillside
- this of course led to less dense plantings and therefore reducing yields and creating overgrowth which these being vigorous vines, a pain to manage
- earlier versions caused a lot of erosion where the vines were exposed on the taludes and vines would topple down the hill
42
Vinha ao alto
- early 80's port shippers decided to scrap the idea of following contours and had the vertical orientation of vines planted
- densities of 5k vines / ha were once again found
- allowed for mechanization and easier deployment of fertilizers and anti-fungal agents
- only viable on slopes up to 35%
- it is really hard to cultivate though that the patamares however higher density of plantings proves to be better for the wine
43
Beneficio
- vineyard classification is the basis for the beneficio
- it's the licensing system that determines how much Port may be produced in any on year
- it takes into account current stocks and the prior years sales the IVPD regulates the total amount of grape must that may be fortified to make Port
- the IVPD has been tasked w/ this since 2003 to apportion the beneficio between 34k growers
- the IVPD represents growers, wine producer and shippers
- also assumes responsibility for regulating the beneficio via vintage communique which is issued to growers in August before harvest
- the beneficio is awarded to growers on the bases of their vineyard clasification (there's a register for this)
- for example, in 2011 A-grade vineyards could produce 1560 liters per ha of must for fortification. F-grade could only produce 523 l/ha. Anything below F was not entitled to produce port
44
Vineyard classification A-I
- every vineyard plot within the Douro is graded according to a system of points
- 12 physical variables are incorporated into the classification in order of importance
- Locality
- Altitude
- Productivity or yield
- soil type
- vine training
- grape varieties
- angle of inclination or slope
- aspect and exposure
- stoniness (soil texture)
- age of the vines
- shelter
- vine density
Scores are as follows:
- Class A: 1201+ points (almost all deeply located in Douro valley and it's tributaries upstream)
- Class B: 1001 - 1200 points (slightly higher altitudes)
- Class C: 801 - 1000 points (high ground north and south of the river)
- Class D: 601 - 800 points (westernmost, downstream and on the foothill or plains)
- Class E: 401 - 600 points
- Class F: 201 - 400 points
- Class G: 1 - 200 points
- Class H: 0 - minus 200 points
- Class I: mines 201 - minus 400 points
45
Vineyard classification: Locality
- reflecting the mesoclimatic differences within the demarcated region. the Douro is divided into 5 sections each containing sub-sections
Section 1: higher parishes of Baixo Corgo w/ coolest climate (0-60+ pts)
Section 2: most of the Baixo Corgo and Tanha valleys. (minus 50 to plus 260 points)
Section 3: (50- 460+ pts)
Section 4: heart of the Cima Corgo and some of Douro Superior (minus 50 to 600+ pts)
Section 5: most of douro superior (140+ to 460+ points)
46
Vineyard classification: Altitude
- basis that altitude as an effect on climate
- score vary between 240+ for vineyards situated up to 150m above sea level to 900- for those above 650m
- subdivided by locality, this rules out Port production from vineyards on the highest and therefore coolest margins of the demarcated region
47
Vineyard classification: Productivity (yield)
- based on the idea that more productive vineyards produce poorer wines
- max score of 120+ points awarded to vineyards producing 600ltrs per 1000 vines to a minimum 900- for vineyards above 1800ltrs per 1000 vines
- since the rise of mechanization and decrease in vine density the regulation is now a regional maximum of 55 hl/ha
- up to this limiat all vineyards receive 120+pts
48
Vineyard classification: soil type
- a max of 100+pts to schistous soils
- 100- for transitional soils
- 250- for granite
- 400- for alluvium (no longer existant really)
49
Vineyard classification: vine training
- based on vines trained closer to the ground level yield riper fruit
- vines up to .8m awarded 100+ (exceptions made for wider spaced vines now)
- vines on pergolas are excluded from port production
50
Vineyard classification: grape varieties
- moved from a very good to bad system to 'recommended' and 'authorized'
- recommended get 150+ pts
- authorized get 150- pts
51
Vineyard classification: Slope
- 1 pt for vines grown on the flags with inclination up to 2%
- up to 101pts flor slopes in excess of 70%
52
Vineyard classification: Aspect and exposure
- the angle at which the sun's rays strike the soil and it's duration of insolation especially during maturation period
- cooler sections, southerly facing is favoured
- in hot years south facing vineyards may suffer from excessive heat
- points vary from 30- for north facing properties in sub-section 1 to 100+pts for slopes facing south in subsection 4
53
Vineyard classification: soil texture
- stonier soils allow for rainwater to penetrate
- schist both reflects sunlight and acts as a heat reserve, modifying the microclimate below the canopy
- stony soils awarded 80+ pts with no points given to soils lacking stones
54
Vineyard classification: Age of vines
- older vines produce less but are more concentrated
- vines less than 5yrs excluded all together
- vines between 4-25 yrs get 30+ pts
- vines that are 25+yrs get 60+pts
55
Vineyard classification: shelter
- narrow tributaries are more sheltered and therefore hotter than the exposed planaltos, north and south
- most sheltered sites are awareded a score of 60+pts as opposed to the most exposed which get 0 pts
56
Vineyard classification: vine density
- higher densities reduce vigor of each vine, every plant yields less and produces better grapes of quality
- all vineyards with a density above the legal 3k vines / ha are awarded 50+pts
57
Quintas
- a wine producing estate or vineyard
58
Cockburn
- founded in 1815 by Robert Cockburn
- best sellers are Special Reserve and Fine Old Ruby in large quantities
- they are consistent and good in quality as are the vintage ports.
- one of the best known names in port
- once acquired by Allied-Domecq increased media support afforded by the multinational Cockburn became the leading brand in the UK
- Allied-Domecq was acquired by Pernod-Ricard and then was taken over by Symington Family Estates in 2010
- heavily invested in vineyards in the 70s' and 80's
- number of substantial properties in Douro
- Favors the Douro Superior for it's fruit
- added Quinta de Canais in 1989 which supplies the vintage lote ports and single quinta vintage ports
- neglected winemaking over the years
- they lack a central winemaking facility so a lot of their stuff feels piece meal and shows in their inconsisitency since 1975.
- Special reserve is still their number one selling brand
59
Croft
- to many best known for their sherries
- yet it is one of the oldest port houses
- started production in 1678
- best style is Fine Old Tawnies
- more in the style of a Portuguese house than English
- vintage ports are among the lightest
- flagship property is Quinta a Roeda acquired in 1875
- acquired by Diageo and became lost. it was then acquired by Taylor Fonseca, which now forms part of the Fladgate Partnership
- built on their vintage ports, in particular the 1955 and 1963
- that fame was squandered in the 80's with wines that were just not worthy of their name
- Nick Delaforce's direction in the 90's turned this around reviving the strong muscular character of the ports from Quinta da Roeda
- they've worked to revamp the Quinta da Roeda winery to restore the legares and install piston plungers in place of the old remontadores
- bulk of their production is presented by Triple Crown, a soft easy ruby and Distinction a rather deeper richer reserve wine
- in 2008 they pioneered Rose Port using new world tech and is marketed as a mixer
- recent vintages 2003, 2007, 2009 have brought about a new house style producing sweet plump wines that are a reflection of the terroir at Quinta da Roeda
60
Ferreira
- House established in 1751 by Jose Ferreira
- it was his daughter Dona that really grew the business
- sold in 1997 to Sogrape
- Own 3 properties in the Douro, Quinta do Porto, Caedo, and Leda
- they pioneered the verticle system of planting (vinha ao alto)
- much reaserch and investement when into their properties
- leading brand of port in Poprtugal and has pioneered the production or high quality reds as well in the Douro
- elegant and rich tawny is their forte
- known to age really well
- vintage ports are underated
- consistently solid, dense and fruit driven LBV
- France and Canada are important markets as well
61
Sandeman
- founded in 1790
- known for their 20 year tawnies
- now owned by Sogrape
- well known for it's logo
- one of the largest single port brands
- George Sandeman (a scottsman)
- 1880, the house of sandeman became the first port shipper to export wine bottled and labelled in Oporto
- originally known for their vintage ports
- with a series of takeovers after going public, from 1970 on the brand and wines seemed to wander and lose their depth and dimension. Their best selling brand Founders Reserve, in the US was a pale relic of it's former self
- Own Quinta do Vao an A rated vineyard and with a run of light vintage ports in the 80's did not declare a vintage from 85-94
- in 94 their port style changed and came back as showing more depth and breadth
- their tawnies never suffered
- they sit on excellent stocks of old wine stored in the Douro
- Imperial Tawny reserve (7 yr) and their 40 yr tawny
- Quinta do Saixo was rebranded as Sandeman after Seagrams/Sogrape acquisition
- 2007 made a great vintage port for the first in time in over 40 years
- US, UK, Ireland have always been strongest markets
62
Taylor
- reputation as the first growth among port shippers
- now the leading hose in the fladgate partnership alongside Fonseca and Croft
- never been sold, just handed down
- built in 1692 by Job Bearsley
- started as general traders
- flagship estate is Quinta de Vargellas which was aquired in 1893
- their not so secret weapon was the LBV which they popularized during the 1970's.
- reputation for great LBV stems from their great vintage ports
- backbone of all vintage ports from from Vargellas and Terra Feita
- all have massive structure and tannins
- no other wines can compete. closest is the sister brand Fonseca which styles are more opulent
- first to commericalize single quinta vintage ports
- Vergellas and Terra Feita in good years are bottled individually
- Vergellas is firm and tannic, somewhat reserved
- Terra Feita are big and powerful with ripe fruit
- First estate is their reserve wine and make some good 20-40 year tawny's
- known as being the trendsetters
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Fladgate partnership
- formed in 2001 when Taylors and Fonseca purchased Croft and Delaforce
- over 1.4 million vines in the Douro valley
- it's focus is premium port with a global market share of more than 33%
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Symington
- one of the most well known and successful of all port families
- owning six brands including Dow, Warre's and Graham
Dow
- established by Bruno de Silva ni 1798
- Partnered w/ George Warre
- Warre was famous for the restoration and replanting of vineyards after the phylloxera epidemic in the 1870's
- Dow known for their vintage ports
- Warre and Symington were in a partnership until 1961 when the Symington Family took over
- they kept Dow somewhat separate from the other brands (cockburn, warre, graham)
- Dow ports are made slightly drier in style. tremendour tannic backbones with intense fruit
- Ruby is called Midnight in the UK
- Trademark is dense full bodied reserve
- LBV is very structured
- crusted ports are great for the price showing concentration and depth
- tawnies good but not as refined or delicate
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Lodges
- port shipper houses
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Vila Nova De Gaia
- opposite of Oporto, this is where port is traditionally aged
- from the waterfront, long single story lodges rise up the hillside
- shippers mature their port here as well as taste blend and bottle before selling it
- until 1986, the law required that all port destined for export had to be shipped from within the strictly defined area of the Gaia entrepot
- port may now be shippsed from anywhwere whithin the demarcated Douro regionso that export markets are open to small firsm, quintas, and cop-ops without premises in Vila Nova de gaia
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Douro bake
- traditional expression for the character imported to wines that are matured in hot, dry climate of the Douro valley
- some wines matured in the Douro seem to develop faster, losing color, browning, and sometimes aquiring a slightly sweet, carmelized flavor
- poor unhygenic conditions of storage often have been the culprit for all these, not so much the climate
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Lagares
- low sided stone trough where grapes are trodden and fermented
- now replaced by conventional fermentation vats (except in the douro)
- some of the best ports continue to be foot trodden in lagares
- in the late 1990's, robotic lagares were introduced by the symington family
- important factor in making premium quality ports
WSET Unit 6
flashcards
Decks in class (5)
# Cards
