INTRODUCTION
TO PORT WINE
REGION: Port Wine is a DOC-regulated fortified wine, produced exclusively in the Douro Valley, the world’s largest mountain wine region.
Its demarcation dates back to 1756, with the founding of Real Companhia Velha as the regulatory body for the appellation.
GRAPE VARIETIES: There are around 116 authorized grape varieties for Port production, with 90 considered native to the Douro. Our region stands out worldwide for its diversity of indigenous grapes, naturally suited to winegrowing for thousands of years. The most common grape varieties include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão, Sousão, amongst others.
VINIFICATION: By law, all Ports are fortified wines. The grape juice begins fermenting spontaneously after several hours of pump-overs or traditional foot-treading. When roughly half of the natural sugars have been converted into alcohol, the winemaker signals the start of fortification. The fermenting must is drained into another stainless-steel tank, where wine brandy at 77% abv is added. This addition halts fermentation, preserving the remaining natural sugars in the wine.
This process ensures that the final product reaches a minimum alcohol level of 18% vol for standard Ports and 19% vol for special categories, with a legal maximum of 21%. Fermentation vats may vary, ranging from stainless-steel tanks to traditional granite lagares.
AGEING: For ageing Port, a wide range of oak vats and formats are used. Traditionally, and ideally, these vats are old, as Ports spend considerable time maturing in wood and there is no interest in extracting new oak characteristics. Although often referred to as “oak”, these ageing vats have historically been made from various types of wood, including oak, walnut and mahogany.
Different sizes and shapes of vats are used to achieve distinct ageing styles: pipas (550–700 L casks), balseiros (large vats), and toneis (foudres).
REGULATION: Port is one of the most tightly regulated wines in the world. The Port and Douro Wine Institute (IVDP), the regulatory body for Port, is responsible for setting quality standards and approving every single blend released on the market.
Each year, the IVDP analyses and tastes several thousand samples to ensure that every Port complies with the required specifications
Main factors
Grape varieties
Grapes such as Touriga Franca and Touriga Nacional will produce structured full bodied aromatic ports with deep colour and tannins, whilst grapes such as Tinta Barroca will produce rounder and lighter Ports with less acidity. Sousão will produce wines with a lot of colour and acidity, Tinto Cão can produce ports with aromatic intensity and acidity whilst Tinta Amarela can bring spice and structure.
Timing of fortification
Earlier fortification will lead to a sweeter style of port, whilst later fortification will lead to a drier style.
Fermentation vat and extraction method
Usually the premium ruby ports such as LBV and Vintage are produced in the traditional lagares and require significantly more extraction. Other less premium ports can be produced in autovinifiers.
Types of Port Wine
There are three main categories, with innumerous sub-categories each, covering both standard and special Ports
Note: White Ports also include several sub-categories, such as White/Fine White, Extra Dry, Aged Whites and Colheitas.
Ageing & Blending
Blending Port is about interpreting countless variables (terroir, grape varieties, ageing profile) and the hundreds of possible combinations to create the best expression of the house style within each Port category.
The beauty of Port lies precisely in this diversity: the vast array of components available to the blender allows each house to craft a truly unique identity.
The diversity of Port Wine also stems from the wide range of wooden vats used for ageing.
Due to its alcohol content and extraction capacity, new wood is not used for Port. Instead, old wood is essential to maintain balance and finesse.
Our historic ageing warehouse in Vila Nova de Gaia contains a great diversity of wooden vats, both European and exotic, sourced from around the world. Many vats are over a century old, some dating back to the late 19th century, with most predating 1960.
Wine Profile Fresher profile with structure;
Touriga Nacional shows citrus and floral notes.
LBV quality
Types
of
Ageing Vats
“The wooden vats in which the Ports are aged and the location of the ageing facility has a significant impact on the wines. Vila Nova de Gaia’s atlantic climate and high humidity provides ideal conditions for preserving wines for many decades.”
Master Blender Pedro Silva Reis
Casks
capacity - 550 › 700 L
IMPACT ON WINE -
Greater micro-oxygenation >
faster ageing > loss of primary fruit > development of Tawny notes
Casks are used exclusively for Tawny Ports due to their capacity to oxygenate the wines. In these vats, colour fades faster and over time primary fruit gives way to honey, crystallised fruit, nuts, spices and after decades, cedar, varnish and tobacco aromas.
Evaporation is high which leads to a greater concentration of aromas, flavours and volatile acidity, creating richer, more intense wines with greater acidity, essential for balance.
Horizontal wooden vats
capacity - 3,200 › 16,700 L
IMPACT ON WINE -
Less evaporation > slower ageing than when in casks but faster than large vats; for young Tawnies or when preserving some fruitiness is desired
At Royal Oporto, these vats are mainly used for Tawnies between 6 and 12 years old that have not yet progressed to casks. They provide a useful stage for ageing the wines without losing too much fruit or gaining excessive cask aromas and flavours. They also serve as an important blending component, helping to balance wines that have developed overly strong cask notes during ageing.
Vertical wooden vats
capacity - 3,000 › 78,000 L
IMPACT ON WINE -
Slow ageing;
Typically used for Ruby Ports
when preserving fruitiness is key
Balseiros are used for young Ports when there is an interest in preserving fruit aromas. Larger balseiros are also used for executing blends and allowing the Ports to settle and integrate prior to bottling
Types of Ageing Vats
Casks - (550 › 700 L)
Casks are used exclusively for Tawny Ports due to their capacity to oxygenate the wines. In these vats, colour fades faster and over time primary fruit gives way to honey, crystallised fruit, nuts, spices and after decades, cedar, varnish and tobacco aromas.
Evaporation is high which leads to a greater concentration of aromas, flavours and volatile acidity, creating richer, more intense wines with greater acidity, essential for balance.
Horizontal Wooden Vats
