Unit 5 - Day 5: Port and Madeira

In Unit 5 of the Intensive Sommelier Training at the International Culinary Center we studied the Wines of the Iberian Peninsula. On the fifth and final day we learned about the fortified and sweet wines of Portugal and Madeira. We then tasted 5 port wines and 5 Madeira wines.

An Introduction to Port

Port is a fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It was invented in the 18^th century by British merchants who developed a method of halting the fermentation of a wine by fortifying it with grape brandy. The increase of the alcohol content of the wine ceased the yeast from continuing the fermentation process thus leaving a sweet alcoholic wine that could better survive long voyages from Portugal to England. Today the United Kingdom continues to be an important market particularly for the premium styles but the biggest export is to France where the lighter styles are consumed as an aperitif.

Port production is centered on the twin cities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia which lie opposite sides of the mouth of the River Duro where large producers dominate the trade. The offices of the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto (IVDP) are in Porto and Régua whereas the warehouses or lodges of the producers are in Vila Nova de Gaia. The towns are 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) downstream from the nearest Port vineyards.

The Grapes of Porto

There are over 29 varieties of grapes that recommended and over 80 are authorized for the production of Port. The top 5 red varieties are as follows:

(1)  Touriga Nacional is considered to be the finest grape of the Douro. It gives low yield, small grapes, small bunches and it matures early.

(2)  Touriga Franca, formerly known as Touriga Francesa, it is also a premium grape of the Douro. It requires a warm location to obtain optimum ripeness. Its wines are deep colored, well-structured and robust with excellent volume.

(3)  Tinta Roriz is the same grape as Tempranillo. It has a higher yield than the two Tourigas and adds finesse to the blend.

(4)  Tinta Cão accounts for small percentage of all Douro vineyards. It is late ripening, it produces small bunches and it adds tannin to wines.

(5)  Tinta Barroca has a larger berry and larger bunch than the other varieties. It is thin skinned and can suffer from excessive heat. Consequently it tends to provide high sugar levels in the musts. It also provides soft fruitier wines. It ripens early and is fundamental to quality Port.

White Port

Comparatively small quantities of White Port are from white grapes. It is generally golden in color, with aromas of dried white fruits, honey, and nuts from the deliberate oxidization and wood ageing. They can range from off-dry to sweet. They are non-vintage and generally sold 2-3 years old. White port is made from two noble varieties:

(1)  Sercial (Esgana Cão) - A white grape grown in Portugal and on the island of Madeira. It has given name to the driest of the four classic varieties of Madeira fortified wine.

(2)  Malvasia Fina, - Also known as Boal, it is found in the Douro and in the Tejo and the Dão DOC where it is grown on vineyard land located at high elevations.

Vinification of Port

 

Stomping Grapes in a lagar

Port production requires the rapid extraction of color and tannin in a matter of 24-36 hours after which the wine is fortified and removed from its skins. Traditionally this is accomplished by teams of workers treading the grapes 3-4 hours in granite troughs or lagares. Once the cap of the fermenting must is formed, it is regularly punched down to extract more color and tannin. Although the traditional method of foot stomping is the preferred means, there are three modern processes that attempt to duplicate the same effect:

(1)  Autovinifiers - An automated process for duplicating foot stomping in lagares, similar to pumping over.

(2)  Piston-plungers – Uses round open-topped stainless steel vats where the cap is pressed down.

(3)  The Robotic Lagar - A shallow stainless steel tank the approximate size of a legar which is adapted to propel gantry with silicon covered robotic feet.

When sugar in the fermenting wines has been converted to 6-9% abv, grape spirit at 77% abv, aguardente, is added in the proportion of 1 part spirit to 4 parts of wine. This kills the yeasts and stops fermentation. Aguardente is a 77% alcohol spirit distilled from the grape solids left after pressing.  It is colorless and flavorless, and the IVDP must approve the spirit to be used each year. Note: The word “aguardente” can also refer to some Portuguese brandy or marc-like liquors which are meant for drinking.

Maturation of Port

 

Barcos Rabelos

In the spring following the vintage, the wine is transferred to the shipper’s lodge via road tankers. Traditionally it was done by boat, the barcos rabelos, which brought it down stream. The milder damper Vila Nova da Gaia is better suited for maturation. Some wines destined for Tawny Port are stored up the Douro where the fierce summer temperatures result in faster aging and a loss of color. The advent of fully air conditioned warehouses has resulted in more wines being aged in the vineyard area. The traditional wood cask used for storage is the “pipe” containing 550 liters. Only seasoned oak casts and vats are used for ageing Port as new wood would impart excessive wood flavors. Many Ruby styles which require more primary fruity aromas are stored in large oak vessels or stainless steel tanks.

There are several types of Port which are as follows:

Types of Port
Reserve Ruby Ports	A blend of higher quality wine from one or more vintages that are cask matured for up to 5 years before bottling. They are full-bodied with richer fruit and better integrated alcohol, and like all filtered ports, they do not need decanting.
Late Bottled Vintage Port (LBV)	A Ruby Port from a specific year that has been aged between one of more vintages, that are cask matured for 4-6 years before bottling. There are two styles: The Modern LBV style is the most common. They are fined and filtered before bottling. They do not need decanting and do not benefit from ageing. These wines should have richer, more complex flavors than Reserve Ports, and a detectable tannic grip. The label must include the vintage and year bottled.  The Bottled Matured LBV is the less common. These are bottled 4-6 years but they are unfined and improve with age.
Tawny Port	A Tawny Ports, without an indication of age, it is a basic blend of wood aged port that has spent at least two years in barrels. They are are paler and browner in color and the best show complex aromas developed through oxidative ageing.
Tawny Port with an indication of Age	A Tawny Port with an indication of age represents a blend of several vintages, with the nominal years “in wood” stated on the label. The official categories are 10, 20, 30 and over 40 years. The categories indicate a target age profile for the ports, not their actual ages. It is also possible to produce an aged white port in the manner of a tawny, with a number of shippers now marketing aged white ports.
Colheita Port	A Colheitas is a tawny port from a single vintage. Instead of an indication of age (10, 20...) the actual vintage year is stated. Whereas a vintage port will have been bottled about 18 months after being harvested and will continue to mature, a Colheita may have spent 20 or more years in wooden barrels before being bottled and sold. A number of white Colheitas have also been produced.
Vintage Port Categories	Vintage port is made entirely from the grapes of a declared vintage year and accounts for about 2% of overall port production. Not every year is declared a vintage in the Douro. The decision on whether to declare a vintage is made in the spring of the second year following the harvest. The decision to declare a vintage is made by each individual port house, often referred to as a “shipper.” In recent years, some shippers have adopted the “chateau” principle for declarations, declaring all but the worst years. More conventional shippers will declare, on average, about three times a decade. Vintage ports are aged in barrels for a maximum of 2½ years before bottling, and generally require another 10 to 40 years of aging in the bottle before reaching what is considered a proper drinking age. Since they are aged in barrels for only a short time, they retain their dark ruby color and fresh fruit flavors. Particularly fine vintage ports can continue to gain complexity and drink wonderfully for many decades after they were bottled. It is common for 19th century bottles to still be in perfect condition for consumption.
Single Quinta Vintage Ports	Single quinta vintage ports are wines that originate from a single estate, unlike the standard bottlings of the port wine houses which can be sourced from a number of quintas. Single quinta bottlings are used in two different ways by different producers. Most of the large port wine houses have a single quinta bottling which is only produced in some years when the regular vintage port of the house is not declared. In those years, wine from their best quinta is still bottled under a vintage designation, rather than being used for simpler port qualities. In a sense, this kind of single quinta is a “second wine” of the regular vintage port and is typically sold slightly cheaper than the regular vintage Port. Typically, this type of single quinta bears the name of both a major port wine house and the name of a quinta. Vintage port from small producers situated in the Douro valley are almost always single quinta wines and labelled as such. Some of the larger port wine houses also have introduced single quintas which are run as separate estates, rather than as a source of wine for the house's main bottling. Typically, this type of single quinta only bears the name of its quinta. Much of the complex character of aged vintage port comes from the continued slow decomposition of grape solids in each bottle. However, these solids are undesirable when port is consumed, and thus vintage port typically requires a period of settling before decanting and pouring.

Madeira

 

The Madeira Island

The Madeira Island is very mountainous and viticulture is only possible on very steep and often terraced slopes on the northern and southern coasts. The island has a temperature climate, with hot, humid summers and mild winters resulting in problems with fungal diseases.

Madeira Grape Varieties

 

Sercial Grapes

During the late 1800s powdery mildew and Phylloxera nearly destroyed the island wine trade. American hybrids dominated new plantings replacing the four noble varieties, Serical, Vedelho and Malvasia. Now over 56% of the plantings of V. vinfera wines are the more disease resistant Tinta Negra, which was introduced at the same time as the hybrids. The noble varieties make only 25%. Hybrids cannot be used in the production of Maderia.

Grape Varieties
Sercial	Mostly grown in the north of the island with some plantings in the south at high altitude. It is nearly fermented completely dry, with very little residual sugar (0.5 to 1.5° on the Baumé scale). This style of wine is characterised with high-toned colours, almond flavours, and high acidity.
Verdelho	Grown mainly in the north with smaller quantities in the south. It has marked acidity and is used to produce medium dry premium wines that are aromatic, showing hints of caramel. It is the most planted of the four noble varieties. It has its fermentation halted a little earlier than Sercial, when its sugars are between 1.5 and 2.5° Baumé. This style of wine is characterized by smokey notes and high acidity.
Boal (Bual)	Grown mainly in warm locations in the south of the island. It has its fermentation halted when its sugars are between 2.5 to 3.5° Baumé. This style of wine is characterized by its dark color, medium-rich texture, and raisin flavors.
Malmsey (Malvasia)	A sweet fortified wine wines with rich honey, raisin and caramel flavors originally made in Greece and now produced mainly in Madeira. Also called malvasia, malvoisie. It grows best in the south but is also grown at attitudes of 200-300 meters in the north. It grows best where there is plenty of sun. Its fermentation is halted when its sugars are between 3.5 and 6.5° Baumé. This style of wine is characterized by its dark color, rich texture, and coffee-caramel flavors. Like other Madeiras made from the noble grape varieties, the Malvasia grape used in Malmsey production has naturally high levels of acidity in the wine, which balances with the high sugar levels so the wines do not taste cloyingly sweet.
Tinta Negra	A red Portuguese wine grape commonly used in the production of Madeira. It is the most widely planted variety on the island of Madeira and is considered the industry’s “workhorse grape.” The grape produces very high yields of dry, medium, medium sweet. and sweet pale red wine.

Vinification and Maturation of Madeira

Madeira producers have modernized. It used to be aged in hulls of ships carrying it to export markets. The high ambient temperature accelerated the ageing process and carmelized the sugars in the wine leading to the descriptive term “Maderised.” In order to duplicate the hot maturation two techniques have been developed.

Wines are left in casks on racks called Canteiros in the lofts of lodges where the are heated by the sun up to 86 degrees. Used for the highest quality Madeiras made from Tinta Negra. They must be aged at least 3 years. In cases such as vintage Madeira, this heating process can last from 20 years to 100 years.

The most common process, used for low cost Madeira, is bulk aging in low stainless steel or concrete tanks called an Estufa surrounded by either heat coils or piping that allow hot water to circulate around the container. The wine is heated to temperatures as high as 130 °F (55 °C) for a minimum of 90 days as regulated by the Madeira Wine Institute.

Wines made from at least 85% of the noble varieties of Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malmsey are usually labeled based on the amount of time they were aged:

Wine Styles of Madeira
Reserve	The minimum amount of aging a wine labeled Reserve, with one of the noble varieties, is 5 years.
Special Reserve	Special Reserve wines are aged for 10 years, often naturally without any artificial heat source.
Extra Reserve	The minimum amount of aging a wine labeled Extra Reserve is 15 years. This style is rare to produce, with many producers extending the aging to 20 years for a vintage or producing a colheita. It is richer in style than a Special Reserve Madeira.
Colheita or Harvest	This style includes wines from a single vintage, but aged for a shorter period than true Vintage Madeira. The wine can be labeled with a vintage date, but includes the word colheita on it.
Vintage or Frasqueira	This style must be aged at least 20 years.
Finest or Three Year Old	These have been aged for at least 3 years made from estufa aged Tinta Negra and are labeled according to their level of sweetness.

The Wines

On the fifth day of Unit 5 we tasted the following wines from Portugal and Madeira:

1. Dow’s 20 Year Old Tawny Port

This is a clear wine, amber at the core to burnt orange with minor rim variation and high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with pronounced aromas of dried apricot preserves, marmalade, toffee, fig, dates, honey and nuts. On the palate the flavors evolve in your mouth beginning with graham crackers, burnt marshmallows, and transitioning to honey and a lingering nuttiness. It is sweet with moderate+ complexity, medium+ body, high alcohol and a long finish. This wine sells for about $56 per bottle.

2. Graham’s Six Grapes Ruby Port

This is a clear red wine, deep purple at the core to pink at the rim with high viscosity and tears that stain the glass. On the nose it is clean and youthful with moderate intense aromas of grape jam, cherry preserves, blackberry jam, and IHOP boysenberry syrup. On the palate it is sweet but not cloying with medium+ body, high alcohol and a long finish. This wine is probably too young to be consumed now and will probably become more complex with age. This wine sells for about $23 per bottle.

3. 2009 Graham’s Quinta dos Malvedos

This is a clear red wine, deep purple at the core to violet at the rim with high viscosity and tears that stain the glass. On the nose it is clean and youthful with moderate intense aromas of blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate covered cherries with a hint of green stems. On the palate it is sweet with medium tannin, moderate complexity medium body, high alcohol medium acidity and a long finish that lingers with notes of dried black fruit after the sweetness dissipates. This wine sells for about $52 per bottle.

4. 1991 Dow’s Vintage Port

This is a clear red wine, ruby at the core to garnet at the rim with a tint of brown and a touch of orange, it has high viscosity and tears that stain the glass. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of prunes, figs, dates, brown sugar, maple syrup, caramel, toffee, decaying flowers and potpourri. On the palate it is sweet with flavors of panettone and a hint of clove. It is sweet with medium- tannins, medium acidity, moderate complexity medium body, high alcohol and a very long nutty finish. This wine sells for about $85 to $100 per bottle.

5. Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Charleston Sercial Special Reserve Madeira

This wine is clear, day-bright, amber at the core to dark gold at the rim with high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of citrus, nuts, dry toffee, and nutmeg and a touch of allspice. On the palate it has flavors of maple syrup, toffee, nutmeg, nutmeg and lingering notes of tangerine and sour peach. It is off dry to sweet with medium- tannins, medium acidity, moderate complexity medium body, high alcohol and a very long nutty finish. This wine sells for about $52 per bottle.

6. Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Savannah Verdelho Special Reserve Madeira

This wine is clear, day-bright, amber at the core to burnt orange at the rim with high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of dried apricots, orange peel, salty crackers, savory notes and a lingering nuttiness. On the palate it has flavors of apricots, dried fruits, golden raisins, and hazelnut. It is off dry to sweet with medium- tannins, medium acidity, moderate complexity medium body, high alcohol and a very long nutty finish. This wine sells for about $50 per bottle.

7. Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Boston Bual Special Reserve Madeira

This is a clear dark amber to burnt orange wine with a tint of yellow at the rim, day bright with high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of cooked oranges, figs, maple old fashioned donuts, cheese mascarpone and a hint of glazed nuts. On the palate it has flavors of cooked oranges, dried figs, dates, and raisins. It has high acidity, it has moderate+ complexity, it is medium bodied with high alcohol and a long finish. This wine sells for about $54 per bottle.

8. Rare Wine Co. Historic Series New York Malmsey Special Reserve Madeira

This wine is clear, dark amber to burnt orange with a hint of yellow at the rim with high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of dates, golden raisins, cooked apricots, candied sweet potato, peanut brittle, savory soy sauce with a lingering nutty finish. It has medium+ acidity, moderate+ complexity, it is medium bodied with high alcohol and a long finish. This wine sells for about $60 per bottle.

9. 1988 D'Oliveiras Madeira Terrantez Reserva

This is a clear amber wine with a hint of yellow on the meniscus at the rim with high viscosity. On the nose it is clean with moderate intense aromas of burnt oranges, dates, toffee, dried cherries, quince paste, panettone roll, hazelnut, cinnamon and baking spices. This wine is off dry with medium+ to high acidity, medium body, high alcohol and a long finish with lingering notes of salted butter. A fabulously complex wine!  This wine sells for about $90 per bottle.