In 2024 I wrote this summary for the D5 book (Fortified Wines) to the WSET level 4 Diploma Course. It helped me to pass for the june 2024 exam. I included a lot of tasting notes. I hope you will enjoy the benefits and wish you good luck with your exams to the level 4 Diploma.
I am a Dutch wine teacher, music teacher and conductor. In 2020 I graduated WSET3. In 2021 I
aced all 4 exams (3 theory modules and 1 tasting module) at the Dutch Wine Academy in 1 day,
becoming “Registervinoloog van de Wijnacademie”. In 2023 I started studying for the WSET4
Diploma. I hope this summary will help you ace your D5 exam, as it helped myself to get
prepared for the exam.
In the last few years I gathered many digital maps. Please check www.wijnlerendrinken.nl for
more information on how to take advantage on them on a small cost.
Please use a licensed purchased copy of this summary only, since I put a lot of time and effort in
writing it. Diploma Course will cost you around Euro 10.000,00 at least. Please don’t economize
for the last few Euros, but let me be of a little profit instead. This way I can keep on writing many
documents and summaries to your advantage, and keep them updated.
As WSET stimulates ‘talking around the subject’ and ‘flair’ to gain higher marks, I added some
useful extra info from the ‘Sherry Academy’ and the ‘School of Port’ in this summary, that
doesn’t show in the textbook but might help you to a higher percentage.
Please also check some useful podcasts on https://eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk/podcasts/ as
they can be very helpful.
Cheers and thanks, Iwan.
2
,List of Abbreviations
DO Denominación de Origen
IVBAM Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira
IVDP Instituto dos Vinhos do Porto e do Douro
IVP Instituto do Vinho do Porto
LBV late bottled vintage
PDO Protected Denomination of Origin
PGI Protected Geographical Indication
PX Pedro Ximénez
RCGM rectified concentrated grape must
SAT Systematic Approach to Tasting
VDN Vins Doux Naturels
VOS Vinum Optimum Signatum / Very Old Sherry
VORS Vinum Optimum Rare Signatum / Very Old Rare Sherry
VSP vertical shoot position
VVO very very old
3
, 1: Key Choices Affecting Style, Quality
and Price in Fortified Wines
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the process of fortification.
2. Explain how maturation options impact on the style, quality and price of fortified wines.
3. Explain how winemaking and post-fermentation options impact on the style, quality and price of
fortified wines.
Red, white, rosé; dry to sweet; youthful and aromatic to fully developed and oxidative.
GRAPE VARIETY
May provide own aroma/flavour to wine (VDNs from Muscat, protective winemaking, early
release) or be simply used as neutral base for flavours of maturation.
Rutherglen Muscat (wines aged in warm, oxidative conditions), aromas Muscat still noticeable
in best wines.
Palomino (neutral variety): Sherry aromas from maturation process. Combination bone-dry
palate, low glycerol, pungency from high acetaldehyde can give sensation similar to acidity in
Fino and Manzanilla, but acidity is low (characteristic of Palomino).
Structural components (acidity and, in black grapes, colour and tannin) important factors.
Madeira (notable for high acidity) number of varieties, such as Sercial and Verdelho, with
naturally high acidity.
Colour important consideration in red wines. Port usually blend, attaining suitable level of
colour in base wine. Basic Tawny Port needs to look aged in short time: made from wines that
are light in colour compared to Vintage Port (expected to retain deep colour over decades of
bottle maturation, includes Touriga Nacional and Sousão).
Influence tannin: high levels not required nor desirable in early drinking styles of Ruby Port or
Maury Grenat. By comparison, role of tannins in colour stability makes medium (+) or high levels
beneficial in long-aged wines. Tannins soften with age, and can become integrated and provide
necessary structure and balance on palate.
VINEYARD SITE
Vineyard location and climate important influences on base material fortifieds. Douro vineyards
scored according to location, aspect, altitude: determines how much Port wine plot can
produce. Vintage Ports come from plots known to produce outstanding-quality wines that age
well. Languedoc Muscat de Frontignan: slightly fuller wines with riper flavours from low altitude
vineyards than high-altitude sites Muscat de St-Jean-de-Minervois.
Region Soil Climate Vineyards
Sherry Albariza: limestone, 36° North, 0-90 m. Hot mediterranean 7,000 ha. Cordon trained + spur pruned,
silica, clay with hot, dry summers and mild VSP: open canopy, mechanisation, reduces
(Palomino) relatively warm winters, no frost. disease pressure. Gentle 10–15% slopes.
Barros: more clay Poniente – Levante. Challenge: Albariza crusts. Troughs/gullies catch winter
Arenas: sandy sunburn. Low disease pressure, but rain: aserpia.
(Moscatel) mildew, European grapevine moth
(pheromone traps).
Port Stony, shallow, free- Warm continental: hot summers, cold 32,000 ha. Steep slopes. Cordon trained +
draining, poor. winters. Shelter from Serra do Marão: spur pruned or head trained + cane pruned.
Schist splits in warmer and drier than Porto. VSP, summer pruning, fertilisers.
4
, vertical layers: deep Baixo Corgo (west, wettest), Cima Socalcos: trad narrow terraces supported
rooting Corgo, Douro Superior (east, driest). by walls of dry rock.
Patamares: terraces supported by steep
earth ramp, cheaper but erosion and weeds.
Large: 2 rows, uneven ripeness. Narrow: 1
row.
Vinha ao alto: vertical rows up the slopes,
least expensive.
Madeira Rich, fertile, Warm summer, mild winter. 450 ha. Pergola (latadas), also cordon
volcanic Mountainous. North/centre very wet, trained + spur pruned. High disease
south drier. Humid climate pressure: VSP (espaldeira), leaf removal.
Irrigation by levadas.
VDN Mediterranean, Roussillon warmest. Shady canopy required (sunburn, grape
Tramontane: transpiration: shriveling).
concentration sugar: less spirit
needed, however reduces juice yield.
TIMING OF HARVEST
Botrytis not desirable: harvest before increased risk of rain/humidity. Some styles fruit picked at
just beyond minimum potential alcohol. Unripe fruit flavours avoided, but Sherry from
Palomino, potential alcohol and health grapes much more important than flavours in grapes.
Other styles, such as Rutherglen Muscat, PX and Moscatel Sherry, grapes on vine longer than
full maturity to concentrate sugars, necessary for very high residual sugar.
Sherry 1st week august – 2nd week September. Picked at 12% potential alcohol. Max 80
hl/ha, usually 60-70.
Port Max 55 hl/ha, usually 30.
Madeira Starts end august or early September, by hand. Min 9% abv but no more than 11%
and high acidity. 150 hl/ha (fertile + irrigation).
VDN Max generally 30 hl/ha. Law: min 14.8% abv potential alcohol, usually not riper to
retain acidity. Late harvest not desired.
SKIN CONTACT AND EXTRACTION
Extraction of colour, tannins and flavour from skins key process in red fortifieds: often sweet
and adding fortifying alcohol midway through fermentation process, limiting maceration to 2–3
days. Especially in wines that undergo long ageing (need high concentrations of colour, tannin
and flavours): extraction techniques need to be as effective as possible. Port industry developed
specialist equipment that permit maximum extraction while remaining gentle enough not to
crush seeds and release bitter tannins. Contrast: basic Tawny and Rosé Ports less extraction to
create paler wines. Some producers of Madeira, Muscat-based VDNs and White Port, let white
grapes macerate for limited time on skins, to increase body and texture and extract additional
flavours. By contrast, skin contact not desirable for biologically aged Sherries (Fino, Manzanilla)
as phenolic compounds can restrict growth of flor.
Sherry Pressed on arrival. No skin contact. 1st press more acidity, low phenolics: Fino. 2nd press lower
acidity (potassium from skins), more coarse: Oloroso. Clarify before fermentation: cold settling,
centrifugation, flotation. Cultured yeast 22-26°C, stainless steel. Malo prevented by chilling must
(no SO₂ for flor).
Port Foot treading, modern lagares, pumping over, stainless steel pistons, autovinifiers. Ambient yeast
28-32°C (white 17-22°C, rosé 15-16°C). No malo (bacteria unable to tolerate high alcohol).
Madeira IVBAM checks. Destemmed, crushed, sometimes skin contact. Fined and filtered.
VDN Few hours of skin contact.
Black: fermented + fortified with skins to increase colour, flavour, tannin + pumping over + punching
down to maximise extraction. White 15°C, red 28°C, both to retain fruity aromas.
Rutherglen Grapes partly shriveled: hard to extract juice, therefore fermented briefly on skins to break down
pulp and release sugar and flavours. Enzymes added + cap management techniques.
5
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