Family - Philosophy - Winemaking - Wines - Addresses & Links
Vinification Madeira
WINE MAKING (PORT)
Port production is centred around the Douro valley situated in the north eastern corner of Portugal, the oldest demarcated wine region in the world. The area takes its name from the Douro River (River of Gold). The heart of the Valley is the Upper Corgo where many of the finest premium quality Ports originate. The area is shielded from the climatic influence of the Atlantic by the Serra do Marão mountain range. Rainfall which in Oporto averages some 1200 mm p/a, rapidly diminishes East of the mountains, averaging some 600 mm p/a in the Upper Corgo.
Terraced vineyards are set into the steep slopes that rise from the Douro and its tributaries. Dow's Quinta do Bomfim is located along the banks of the Douro near the village of Pinhão, the heart of the Upper Corgo, while Graham's Quinta dos Malvedos hugs the riverbank further up river near the town of Tua. Smith Woodhouse Madalena is situated near the Torto River and Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha is located along the banks of the Pinhão river. Quinta do Vesuvio and Dow's Senhora da Ribeira are both situated in the Douro superior, an area which until recently was quite remote. Here the yields are the lowest in the Douro producing wines of incredible concentration and structure.
The soil in the Douro valley consists of cambric and pre-cambric schist. The texture of the schist is one of the key factors to the success of viticulture in the region. It allows the roots to explore a larger area in search for water and nutrients, as well as the soil having a great capacity of absorbing radiant energy and therefore allowing a faster and more even maturation. Vines are planted on just 13% of the total demarcated area of 250,000 hectares. The best vineyards tend to be situated near the river or where you can``hear the river flowing."
More than eighty different varieties of red and white grapes are permitted although in practise only seven are used on a regular basis (6 red and 1 white): Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz ,Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela and Malvasia Fina.
There are two vinification systems used in Port production, the traditional and the modern.
Traditionally grapes are crushed by foot in lagares, three foot-high stone tanks typically measuring between 10 to 15 square metres. After a two-hour period of very deliberate, systematic treading, "liberdade" is declared and dancing in the lagar takes place for an additional two hours.
After the four-hour crushing period, the wine ferments for 36-48 hours in the lagares until approximately half the natural grape sugar has been fermented. During fermentation the layer of skins rises to the top and is then ``punched down" with paddles to extract further colour. The must is then drawn off out at 7 or 8 Baumé into large wooden vats or stainless steel tanks where 77 % v/v natural grape spirit is added. This process kills the remaining yeast and ensures that fermentation is halted while still retaining between 80 to 110 g/l of natural sugar in the wine.
Today, only 5% of all Port is trodden and fermented in lagares. The Symington Port companies however, still produce over 10% of their total production by this ancient method. All the wine at Quinta do Vesuvio's for example is made this way.
However it is becoming increasingly difficult to get sufficient manpower to
tread the grapes for the many arduous hours necessary to get the best
results.
Due to the increasing difficulties in finding people to tread, we have
looked to produce wines in a similar fashion but in a mechanised way. Our
objective was therefore to create a mechanical method of simulating
treading in a lagar while incorporating all the positive aspects and
eliminating the negative ones.
At the 1998 vintage, Graham's inaugurated the first totally purpose built
robotic lagar. Designed by Graham's own winemaking team, the new lagar was
a groundbreaking concept. In the past, attempts have been made to automate
the old stone lagares but with only limited success. Nobody had ever built
a fully automated lagar.
Now after three years and with 7 Graham's robotic lagares in full operation
we are fully confident that we have reached the objectives that we set
ourselves. We are particularly proud of the fact that we were the first
company to conceive and build a totally automatic treading machine.
We believe firmly that these lagares will allow us to continue to produce
the finest possible port. Graham's emphasise that these robotic lagares
will not replace existing traditional treading in the stone lagares. They
will be used to make more port in lagares.
Graham's has no doubt that these 21st century lagares will set a whole new
trend in the Douro.
Since the early 1960's, most Port has been made using a more modern method (Autovinification). Grapes are crushed mechanically and then placed in large stainless steel tanks where fermentation takes place for 36-48 hours. During fermentation carbon dioxide is produced and its pressure forces the juice from the bottom of the tank into a small chamber above from which it is sprayed over the cap periodically until a desired level of fermentation has been achieved. This process ensures that the skin and juice remain in contact in order to extract as much colour and tannins as possible. The juice is then run off into wooden or stainless steel vats containing the natural grape spirit as in the traditional method.
The young wines then remain in the Douro until they 'fall bright', which will normally occur from about March onwards in the year following the vintage. The young Port is then transported down the Douro Valley to Vila Nova de Gaia across the river from the city of Oporto, where they can age without exposure to the extremes of temperature seen in the Douro valley. Here the lots are evaluated, graded and placed in wooden vats or casks. Quinta do Vesuvio is one of the few estates to age its Ports on site, its cellars benefiting from air conditioning installed by the Symington family when they acquired the property in 1989.
Wines that will be destined for great Vintage Port will be aged in wooden cask for between 18 months and two years before being bottled and either sold 'en primeur' or aged in the lodges until ready for drinking. The old tawnies remain in cask for many more years in order to help them gain their nutty character while LBV's and the younger ruby and tawny will be kept for a shorter period in wood before being bottled and shipped all over the world.
Family - Philosophy - Winemaking - Wines - Addresses & Links
Vinification Madeira
