Madeirization
Under maderisation refers to the Portuguese Madeira wine typical character through the oxidative vinification produced during simultaneous exposure to heat. Madeira wines are mostly amber yellow to brown in color and are characterized by a pronounced cooked to slightly caramel-like taste. In the case of a not deliberately madeirized wine , the term has a negative connotation in the context of wine language and is used for an outdated and dull wine.
Other fortified wines that go through a similar process are often given the term rancio .
Madeirized wines mature into rich, full-bodied wines. Their bouquet is usually associated with the aromas of figs , dried fruits , quinces , nuts and rancid butter. For wines the grape Sercial also a significant Terpentinnote can occur.
On the island of Madeira , the process of oxidation, which starts even after long storage in the cellar, is accelerated by heating. In addition, the heating promotes the formation of aldehydes and acetals as well as other aromatic substances.
The prerequisite for the correct implementation of a Madeirization is the previous filling of the base wine. The high alcohol content prevents the formation of acetic acid bacteria.
The classic Canteiro method , in which the fortified Jungmadeira is naturally exposed to the heat in a wooden barrel under the uninsulated roof of the Adega , has become very rare today for economic reasons and is only reserved for high-quality wines. The volume loss of around three percent per year in the wooden barrel alone leads to considerable costs over the years of aging. The discovery of this extension method is thanks to the so-called Torna viagem .
Good quality is also achieved if the storage room is additionally heated with the wooden barrels. Due to the higher temperatures, the oxidation effect accelerates and can be completed after at least 6 months.
The cheapest method is quick, loss-free heating in a stainless steel or concrete tank. The tanks are not completely filled and are heated to 55 ° C for at least 90 days. If the container were only heated to 50 ° C, the complete Madeirization effect would be extended to almost 15 months.
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . 1st edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, Munich, 2003, ISBN 3-7742-0914-6 .
- Michael Broadbent : Check out wines, know them, enjoy them . 3. Edition. Raeber Verlag, Lucerne and Stuttgart, 1986, ISBN 3-7239-0040-2 .
- Pascal Ribéreau-Gayon, Denis Dubourdieu, Yves Glories, Alain Maujean: Traité d'oenologie, Chimie du vin. Stabilization et traitements . 5th edition. Dunod, Éditions La Vigne, 2004, ISBN 2-10-007302-8 .