SHERRY - Winemaking - Biological ageing
5 important questions on SHERRY - Winemaking - Biological ageing
What is FLOR and where does it live
- (A layer of) yeast comprised of four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisae.
- on the skins of the grapes from the Jerez region
- in the bodegas where the sherry is matured
How can Flor develop on the wine
- Maximum 15.5% abv > yeast struggle to survive above this
- no SO2 added > flor will be inhibited
- Flor needs plenty oxigen >
- sherry butts are left 85-09% full
- bungs are loosely inserted
- Warehouse where the wine is stored:
- temperature 16-20C
- humidity above 65%
What happens when, over time in barrel, the flor dies
- Dead yeast cells fall to the bottom of the barrel and autolysis takes place
- this leads to
- savoury, nutty flavours
- enhances the texture of the wine
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What is, especially for biological aged wines, the importance of the solera system?
- The young wines from the sobretablas are rich in nutrients for the flor (alcohol, gycerol, acetic acid)
- As the wine matures under flor, these nutrients are used up
- Blending these young wines with the older ones keeps the flor on the older wines alive
Why are, in Fino and Manzanilla solera systems, often smaller portions removed throughout the year
- To keep the flor alive
- Blending the young wines with the older ones keeps the flor of the older wines alive. When you do it more often the flor is more sure to be kept
- The wine should be fresher when it reaches the point of sail
- They DON'T improve with bottle ageing
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