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Types.
28/07/01. Changed;01/11/03;06/12/03;30/10/04
30/12/01;07/09/02;04/01/03;02/09/06;30/12/06;15/03/08;07/11/09.
Contents:
1. Generally:
1a. Blends. - 1b. Standard
or Special Category/Premium. - 1c. Cask maturing.
- 1d. Filtered or Unfiltered. - 1e. Maturing
in V.N. de Gaia or Douro Region. - 1f. Single
Quinta Ports. - 1g. Co-operatives.
- 1h. Sweetness. - 1i. Biological
Ports. - 1j. Quinine. - 1k. Buyers
Own Brands. - 1l. Rubricating red
Ports. - 1m. National preferences.
2. Last changes rules.
3. Quality gradings.
4. White Port:
4a. Standard White. - 4b. Reserva/Reserve
White. - 4c. Colheita White. - 4d.
Aged White.
5. Ruby style:
5a. Standard
Ruby. - 5b. Reserva/Reserve. - 5c.
Crusted. - 5d. Late Bottled Vintage -
LBV. - 5e. Vintage.
6. Tawny style:
6a. Colheita
(red). - 6b. Garrafeira.
- 6c. Standard Tawny. - 6d. Reserva/Reserve
Tawny. -
6e. Aged Tawnies.
7. Rosé
Port: 7a. Standard
Rosé.
1.
Generally.
Before we describe the types first some information about indications and
particularities:
1a.
Blends. This indication is used when Port of different years is mixed.
Blended Ports form the largest part of the production. When Port of different quintas or grapes
from the same year are mixed it is not called a blend.
1b.
Standard Port or Special Category Port/Premium. Standards are young White, young Tawny,
Ruby and Rosé. Standard Port is made in very large volumes (some 80% of the total
sales).
1c.
Cask maturing/storing and oxidation.
Large differences exist in storing Port Wine in casks. If a producer
wants to make a Colheita or an Aged Tawny he will choose small oak casks for
an optimal contact of the wine with the wood.
But if a producer wants for example a dark, fruity Late Bottled Vintage he will
choose for storing in huge tanks, often not
made of wood.
So, there is a large difference between cask maturing and cask storing.
It demands great skill
of wine makers to determine in a very early stage already what will be suitable
for the young wine. The wine structure and quality are determinant in the choice
for cask maturing or for processing to dark, fruity types.
1d.
Filtered or Unfiltered bottled Port. Sometimes these types are indicated
as matured in cask or bottle matured, but that is inaccurate. All bottle matured
Port has after all spend some years in cask too, though the ripening process is then
being suppressed sometimes (see 1c).
The filtered – the greater part – are at their peak when they are bottled,
after having first been filtered and stabilized, don’t get any better by being
in bottle, and are not meant to be kept. In fact filtering and stabilizing clears
them of all grape rests so the wine can not develops further.
The unfiltered become significantly better after years in bottle,
sometimes form a substantial crust and often oxidize quickly after opening
and coming in contact with oxygen. On the bottles they are indicated with "Unfiltered",
"Não filtrado" or "Bottle matured/Envelhecido em garrafa". Sometimes such an indication is
absent, while on the back label indication is found that they can improve in
bottle and/or can form crust, and that they are in fact unfiltered.
The
classical unfiltered Port is the Vintage. But they also exist as Crusted, Late
Bottled Vintage and (Ruby-)Reserve (Vintage Character). For the real fans these are the exciting
wines to store, which can result in a long time tasting pleasure.
Amongst Port lovers more and more irritation arises about the noncommittal
attitude of the industry in the use of
indications for Filtered and Unfiltered versions. You often only discover
after removing the capsule what you may expect by means of the type of cork.
The last regulations of the IVDP in Regulamento no. 23/2006 only say that
certain indications may be used. The terms “Não filtrado” and
“Unfiltered” are allowed for the Vintage, LBV, Crusted or Reserve (Ruby).
The terms “Envelhecido em garrafa” and “Bottle Matured” are allowed for
the Vintage, LBV, Crusted or Garrafeira.
Otherwise, these last terms may not be used earlier than three years after bottling
of unfiltered LBV and of the Crusted.
1e.
Port matured in Vila Nova de Gaia and in the Douro region. The climate in
the Douro region is much less temperate (between –2 and +45 degrees Celsius)
than at the coast. Because of this wines mature much quicker and
develop a different taste, indicated as Douro Bake; by Spence in The Port
Companion (1997) characterized as a cooked taste, not unpleasant but very different.
More and more often companies are changing to storing at the quintas, more
attention is being paid to climate control. Quinta do Noval and Quinta do Vesúvio
for example have fully air-conditioned storages. The result might be that this
special Douro Bake taste will completely disappear in the future.
1f.
Single Quinta Ports (SQP’s). These SQP’s take up different positions.
The large Port companies, which possess many vineyards and/or sell grapes or
wine from independent wine farmers, mostly market SQP-Vintages only when they
don’t need that harvest for a vintage of the whole company. Here SQP is of
minor importance (there are exceptions: see below).
On the other hand there are independent
quintas in the Douro area. For a
long time they have been prohibited to export their Port from their domain. This
was only allowed out of the lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. These independent quintas could only deliver within Portugal or to large shippers. But this rule
was abolished in 1986 when Portugal entered the EU. Ever since the development
of independent quintas has been slowly increasing. It is obviously that they try
to produce the best possible product under their own name and not only Vintages,
but also all other types.
Their
appearance in the top has increased over the past years.
The group of Single Quintas is gradually creating a position equal to French
Chateaux. A number of them, not the top SQP's, have their own organization: AVEPOD,
with members who produce Port and/or Douro Wine.
The
largest exception to the divide mentioned afore is Quinta do Noval which
has already been making SQP’s for
decades, while, at the same time, being one of the large Port shippers in Vila
Nova de Gaia. In the eighties they have left that town for the greater part. This company is one of
the best in its branche. Their 1931 Vintage already gave them world fame. Note that only
with the name Quinta do Noval the Port is sure to come from that quinta. With the name Noval it comes from other vineyards of the firm. The
very best are marketed with the name of Quinta do Noval Nacional.
The Symington Family group proved that this development is also of concern to
the large Port houses. In 1989, when they bought the Quinta do Vesúvio they
made it into an independent shipper, not sheltered under one of their other
houses (Dow's, Graham's, Warre's, Smith Woodhouse, Quarles Harris and Gould Campbell).
1g. In the Douro region exist about 20 cooperatives
all working on a local basis. This development is
strongly stimulated by the government. Members are mostly small wine farmers. Over
the last years many cooperatives have difficult times leading to mergers and
bankruptcies.
Because co-operatives don’t appeal to the imagination and don’t have old
names, they often offer a good price/quality ratio. However, far from all
co-operatives deliver Port Wine.
The first Vintage ever made by a co-operative was marketed by Adega
Cooperativa de Santa Marta de Penaguião, a village between Vila Real and Peso
da Régua. It is a Vintage 1998 under the brand Caves Santa Marta.
1h.
The sweetness of Port Wine can vary from very sweet to sweet, semi-dry, dry or extra dry. It is the winemaker who
determines just how sweet a Port Wine will be according to when he interrupts
the fermentation.
The IVDP presents at http://www.ivdp.pt/pagina.asp?idioma=1&codSeccao=2&codPag=67&
the following survey of sweetness degrees of these Port types:
Sweetness |
Volumetric mass |
*Baumé |
Sugars (g/l) |
Extra
dry |
<
0,9980 g/cm3 |
0,0 |
<40 |
Dry |
de
0,9980 g/cm3 a 1,0079 g/cm3 |
0,0
- 1,3 |
40
- 65 |
Semi
dry |
de
1,0080 g/cm3 a 1,0179 g/cm3 |
1,4
- 2,7 |
65
- 90 |
Sweet |
de
1,0180 g/cm3 a 1,0339 g/cm3 |
2,8
- 5,0 |
90
- 130 |
Very
sweet |
> 1,0340 g/cm3 |
>5,0 |
>130 |
You especially find these variations in White Ports.
Among the Tawnies and Rubies you find less sweet products for instance of Dow's
or Cockburn's
Ramos Pinto makes an extra sweet the Lágrima Tinto or Red, available in
Portugal (see
https://www.garrafeiranacional.com/pt_pt/maxshop/produto/5362/porto-tawnyrubybranco/ramos-pinto-lagrima-tinto/).
1i.
Quinta do Infantado as well as Romariz, Casal dos Jordões and Quinta do Panascal
make biological
Ports according to the rules of Agrobio and the EU. They are often (always?)
bottled traditionally.
1k.
Bob’s or Buyers Own Brands are
own brands from importers or shop chains. However, the actual Portuguese
producer’s name is always mentioned on the bottle in small letters. Sometimes
these BOB’s offer a good price/quality ratio.
-
cask matured compared to
bottle matured,
-
Ruby coloured or Ruby style
compared to Tawny coloured or Tawny style,
-
without harvest year
compared to with harvest year.
When
we started in 2001 we made a choice for the segmentation including and excluding
harvest year. In 2006 we have changed this to Ruby style and Tawny style
as this fits in better with the most important taste differences.
1m.
Finally, it’s good to know for travellers that many Port firms adapt their
tastes to national preferences. Here too a voyage of discovery can be
made. (France: delicate and fine; England: strapping, gutsy; Portugal: jammy and
caramel.)
2.
With
Portaria no. 1484/2002 of November 22nd , 2002 a step was taken in
the regulation of types and indications. The most important changes in this law
were the replacement of the Vintage Character by the Reserva/Reserve (Ruby), the
introduction of the Reserva Tawny/Tawny Reserve and the Reserva Branco/White
Reserve and the demands for the Garrafeira. In August 2009 this Portaria has
been admitted in Decreto-Lei no. 173/2009 and the Aged White and Rosé Port
became official.
In Regulamento no. 36/2005 of April 18th, 2005 descriptions and
quality norms have been recorded for the Special Categories.
In Regulamento no. 23/2006 of March 29th, 2006 regulations have been
recorded with regard to indications, presentation and protection of Port Wine.
We have tried to make as well as possible use of the sometimes-confusing
regulations in the descriptions of the different types.
3.
Quality gradings.
In May 2005 the Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e do Porto published Regulation
no. 36/2005 with regard to the Special Categories. The following quality
gradings are distinguished in Appendix 1:
-
Reserva/Reserve White, Tawny and Ruby: very good - 7.
-
LBV, Crusted, Colheita, Garrafeira, Aged Tawny and Aged White: super - 8.
-
Vintage: exceptional - 9.
The
appreciation criterion for Standard White, Tawny, Ruby and Rosé is a 5.
These
criterions are used for the testing by the Câmara de Provadores of the IVDP (see
What’s Port?).
4.
White Port.
White Port certainly is a minority (in 2006 ca. 12.5% of the total sales) and is usually least
appreciated. It is made from white grapes only and knows the following styles:
- Lágrima or Very Sweet,
- Doces or Sweet,
- Meio Seco or Semi Dry,
- Seco or Dry,
- Extra Seco or Extra Dry.
See
also the tabel with sweetness degrees in 1h.
The alcohol level of these styles varies between 19 and 22%.
Beside these there is also the Leve Seco or Light Dry with about 16,5% alcohol.
Often is said that the
first duty of Port Wine is to be red, but this white variant also has elementary
smell and taste qualities of other Port Wines.
4a.
Standard White (5).
The
Standard White Port is already bottled after some years. It
is allowed to use the indication “Fine” on the label of the Standard White.
The
Standard White Ports are well suited to be used in a mix like the Portonic. This
is an aperitif with equal parts of Dry White Port and tonic, with a slice of
lemon or lime and an ice cube. The versions with Sweet and Light Dry should also
be given a try. The Portonic is served in a high, narrow long drink glass.
4b. Reserva/Reserve White (very good - 7).
On
November 22nd, 2002 the Reserva Branco or White Reserve is introduced officially
(see 2). It has to been matured in casks for at least 7 years.
It is only allowed to use one of the indications “Especial”,
“Special” or “Finest” on the label of the Reserva Branco/White Reserve.
4c.
Colheita White (super
- 8).
See 6a. Colheita (red).
The only one we know is the Dalva (C. da Silva) Colheita Golden White 1952.
4d. Aged White (super - 8).
On 09/10/06 the Interprofessional Council of the IVDP agreed on the white
version of the Aged Tawnies. The name is officially Vinho do Porto Branco com
Indicação de Idade de 10, 20, 30 e 40 Anos or White Port Wine with Indication
of Age of 10, 20, 30 and 40 Years.
The
difference between young and old White Port is enormous. The young are mostly drunk as an
aperitif. Cask matured Old are more
oxidized and after some decades there is only less difference in colour and
appreciation with the same old Tawnies. A good old White Port is as nice as an
old Tawny. However, old Whites are rare and expensive.
Some
examples of old whites are:
-
Barros Branco Seco Muito
Velho (based on a Reserve from 1924),
-
Churchill’s Dry White 10
Years Old,
-
Casa Santa Eufémia Reserva
Especial Branco 1973 (actually a Colheita?).
5.
Ruby style.
The style
of the Ruby types especially characterizes itself by its fruity taste and its
dark-red, sometimes purple or black-red colour.
5a. Ruby (5).
Standard
Ruby is the most produced; it is young, fruity and ruby-red.
First it spends two to three years in cask. To avoid oxidation as far as possible, these
often are huge tanks, not made of wood (see also 1c).
It is allowed to use the indication “Fine” on the label of the Standard
Ruby.
5b. Reserva/Reserve (very good - 7).
On November 22nd, 2002 the
Vintage Character (VC) has been replaced by the
Reserva or Reserve (see also
2).
The Reserva or Reserve is a good quality Ruby with
variable cask maturing (not limited anymore to 4-6 years as for VC). It is
only allowed to use one of the indications “Especial”, “Special” or
“Finest” on the label of the Reserva/Reserve.
Vintage Character did not in any way resemble a Vintage. It has
been nothing else than a good Ruby laid down in large casks for a minimum of about 4 and a
maximum of about 6 years (see also 1c). A better indication would have been: Super Ruby or Premium
Ruby.
Nevertheless this name had already been in existence for over 70 years.
The indication not became current really. Many
companies had their own names like: Fonseca BIN 27, Graham's Six Grapes, Sandeman
Founder’s Reserve, Noval LB, Cockburn's Special Reserve, Ramos Pinto Quinta
da Urtiga, Warre’s Warrior, Quinta do Infantado Estate Reserve, Dow’s A.J.S.
and Taylor’s First Estate.
Some VC has also traditionally been made, like W. and J. Graham’s Six
Grapes-Unfiltered.
5c. Crusted (super - 8).
In the past Crusted Port was made especially by the importers in England.
It was and is a blend of red Port wine, usually of good quality. It was bottled unfiltered
after some 3 years, and therefore developed a crust.
Bottling of Port outside Portugal has been totally prohibited since 1996.
Because it is a storage wine you still can find one of the England-made Crusted
Ports here or there, but obviously they do not have an IVP (nowadays IVDP)
guarantee seal.
Crusted Port is still made, but nowadays in Portugal by for example Dow's and
Churchill's.
The
moment a Crusted has to be bottled is not fixed. Regulamento no. 36/2005 says no
more about it than that it is a wine of different years and that bottling has to
be done within a maximum of 30 days after approval by the IVDP. It is allowed to
use the indications “Bottle matured” or “Envelhecido em garrafa” on the
label of Crusted Port Wines, but not earlier than three years after bottling (see
also 1d.).
It is not allowed to market the Crusted earlier than three years after the
approval by the IVDP.
5d. Late Bottled Vintage - LBV (super - 8).
Late Bottled Vintage, probable
first made in the early sixties, is a Port of one, usually better, harvest
year, and has to lay down in casks for a minimum of about 4 and a maximum of
about 6 years. To be exactly: the bottling has to be done between about March
1st of
the 4th year and December 31st of the 6th year from the harvest. Both the harvest year and the
year of bottling must be mentioned on the bottle.
The
way of storing in casks differs strongly between producers (see also
1c).
Some want to make a dark, fruity LBV and store it in huge stainless steel tanks.
In that case it will make little difference if the wine is bottled after 4 or 5
or 6 years. Sometimes it happens that the whole stock is bottled in one go.
Others
want a little more oxidized type and let the wine mature more or less in wooden
casks (for example: Churchill’s, Ramos Pinto and Vallegre). In this case there
will be a clear difference between one bottled after 4 years and one that has
stayed in casks 1 or 2 years longer.
LBV is often bottled unfiltered and than it is a fine wine for storage. It is
said that only four years old are suitable for further bottle maturing, but
regularly there are six years old unfiltered available (see
also 1d.).
It is not allowed to mention
the terms "Evelhecido em garrafa" or "Bottle Matured" on the label of the
unfiltered LBV earlier than three years after bottling.
An interesting fact is that of the total 1997 LBV selling Great Britain was
responsible for consumption of not less than 44,4%.
5e. Vintage (exceptional - 9).
Vintage,
the king of Port Wines, is of one harvest year and is always bottled unfiltered. A Vintage used to be made only in the best years, from the best grapes,
from the best/oldest vines, from the best vineyards and produced in the best way
(often foot trodden). On average a Vintage was produced by a shipper or
independent quinta three times a decade. Nowadays Vintages are often made as much as
possible. The Symington Family for instance have made a Vintage of every Quinta
do Vesúvio harvest since the purchase in 1989, unless the quality does not
allow this at all (1993 and 2002).
Peter Symington wrote about the 2000 harvest how a top Vintage should be:
“It has been many years since so many of the quality indicators have been
present in one year. Namely the excellent fruit quality; high sugar readings;
ideal weather throughout picking; very low yields; purple colours already
apparent from the beginning of fermentation; wonderful aromas from the musts and
the low juice to skin ratio. Fermentations took place under near ideal
conditions, no cooling being required, in fact a little heating was needed due
to quite cool nights. The ideal fermentation temperatures produced wonderfully
aromatic musts.”
Before
bottling, Vintage is stored in large tanks between some 16 and 33 months (see
1c). To be exactly: sales may start from May 1st of the 2nd
year and bottling has to be stopped on July 30th of the 3rd year from the
harvest. The harvest year must be mentioned on the bottle.
The duration of maturing in bottle varies strongly. Some do not improve anymore
after 10 or 15 years, but for the supreme product 50 years may pass before they
reach their top. There have been Vintages, which were found to be fantastic
after more than a 100 years. See also Files/To store
...
Until 1972 Vintages were also bottled outside Portugal, especially in England.
For this the dictated bottle period was used freely. These bottles however
don’t have a guarantee seal of the IVP (nowadays IVDP). Particularly in England you still can
find these Vintages (up to the harvest year 1970).
Especially in the USA people started to drink Vintage very young. This
is a matter of taste and circumstances. Over the last years their approach has
been copied more and more.
James
Suckling, a well known wine writer and editor of the American magazine Wine
Spectator, says in an interview with Susana Máximo in Revista de Vinhos of July
2002:
“A Vintage is fruity and attractive in its first 2-3 years, after that it
closes itself ’, ‘to open again’ after 15-20 years.”
About the preference of Americans to drink Vintages young, he says that it has
to do with impatience to wait for a very good wine for 15-20 years, with
preference for fruity wines and with the fact that less Americans have good
storing possibilities.
Sandeman
was the first to zero in on this preference with its Vau Vintage. At first the
company failed to gain an approval. This has clearly changed. In 2005 Paul
Symington said the following on this:
“The Brits are really very tied to the traditions of Vintage Port. Many will
not countenance opening a bottle until it is 20 years old. But we need to get
them to be more adventurous. A lot of people sneer the Americans for serving Vintage
Port young, but why not?” From
‘How to get people to buy 2003 Vintage Port’ - Column by Jancis Robinson in
The Financial Times of May 21st 2005.
“We’re not making the wines in a different way, to drink young - we’re
making better wines which will age fabulously too.” From
‘2003 Port: a “modern” classic’ at Harpers Online of May 13th
2005.
It seems that the first Vintages are already made in 1756 and 1765. The top
years of the nineteenth century are: 1847, 52, 53, 54, 58, 59, 63, 68, 70, 71,
72, 73, 75, 78, 90, 96 and 97. And of the twentieth century: 1900, 04, 08, 12,
27, 31, 34, 35, 45, 47, 48, 55, 63, 66, 70, 77, 83, 85, 91, 92, 94, 95, 97, 2000
and 2003.
There are made Vintages of one grape variety, like Quinta da Foz
Vintage Touriga Nacional 1996 of Cálem. Although ever more planting of large
areas with one grape type are available, it is not probable that there will be made
much of this type in the future.
Much
information about Vintage Port can be found on www.thevintageportsite.com
of The Symington Family. Finally they promote only their own brands, but that is
understandable and forgivable.
The style of the older wood matured Tawny types characterizes itself by the
colour changes from red-brown through clear-brown to gold-brown with orange and
light-green rims. When tasting the older Tawny types you especially find vanilla,
nuts and caramel.
6a. Colheita (red)
(super
- 8).
The
Colheita (Portuguese for harvest) is a wood matured Port Wine of one harvest year, which is also called
‘Harvest dated Tawny’. It officially exists in red as well as in
white, though the white variant is rare (see 4c. Colheita
White). The
Colheita is considered to be originally a red Port. This is so obvious that we
have never seen the indication red on labels of Colheitas.
This
type is marketed in small volumes as Colheita, but is especially used as ‘base
material’ for Aged Tawnies.
Colheita has
to mature in cask for at least 7 years, but often much longer. It is the
wood matured counterpart of the Vintage Port.
It
is allowed to indicate Colheitas older than 10 years with “Velho” or
“Old” and those older than 30 years with “Muito velho” or “Very old”.
Both the harvest
year and the year of bottling must be mentioned on the bottle. The
year of bottling is of great importance. Is it too long ago, there is a great
risk that the quality has become less, certainly if it is not known what has
happened with the bottle in the meantime.
Striking is that in 1997 Holland consumed 15,7% of all Colheita sold that year.
Quite a lot for such a small country. Together with the number at the end of 5d.
it says much about national taste differences.
Colheitas are often given as a present to commemorate a year of birth or
something like that. They are easier to get than Vintages, because a new small,
always older lot can be bottled every time.
Mostly, they are cheaper than Vintages of the same age.
Though Colheitas
are meant to be drunk directly, João Paulo Martins writes in A Wine Lover’s
Guide (2001) (see: Files/Library):
“However,
if you should happen to keep some Colheita type wines in your cellar, over time
they may acquire some very interesting additional aromas, the so-called bottle
nose, that confers them some crispness (in Portuguese
"frescura"
= freshness) and even some elegance.”
The Garrafeira is a ‘subspecies’ of the Colheita (see
6a.). It is very rare.
Garrafeira (Portuguese for bottle cellar, bottle rack) is a Port of one
harvest year. After maturing in cask during at least 7 years (just like the
Colheita) it is bottled traditionally in
about 10 litres glass demijohns (officially glass containers). After at least 8 years
it is rebottled in standard
bottles. In style it is classified between Colheita and Vintage. It is rare. As
far as we know it is only made by Niepoort.
For the normal, not fortified, wines the term Garrafeira is mostly used as
indication for a special lot chosen by a wine farmer.
Good
examples of blends
are those of the Graham’s 10 Years Old and the 20 Years Old presented during
Blending Contests in Amsterdam:
The 10 Years Old had been made with 10% of a 7 and 9 years old Port each, 20% of
a 13 years old and 60% of a 10 years old (see our News item Graham’s Blending
Contest of 04/10/03).
The 20 Years had been put together from 10% of a 9 years old and 30% of a 13, 20
and 29 years old Port each (see our News item Graham’s Trophy Contest of
07/02/04).
The year of bottling
must be mentioned on the bottle.
The differences can be enormous. In Portuguese Wines of June 2001 has
been written about a tasting of some 40 ten-year-old Tawnies: “Some had the
colour of a 30-year-old (very pale, completely tawny or golden), while others
appeared younger than 10 years.”.
To get a real good impression of this older Tawnies you should try one of at
least 20 years old.
João Paulo Martins wrote in Portuguese Wines of June 2001: “Unlike Vintage Port,
which is a gift of nature, an old Tawny is the absolute expression of the
winemaker’s skill and craftsmanship in moulding a wine to his taste. It is for
this reason that some call Tawny Port the President, and Vintage the King”.
7.
Rosé Port: 7a.
Standard Rosé.
In January 2008, the introduction
of the Rosé Port or Porto Rosado by the Fladgate Partnership was accompanied by
fierce critism and violent discussions (see our News items of 07/06/08 The
first rosé "Port Wine" and of 05/07/08 Croft
Pink (2): a reply by Adrian Bridge.
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