Vinagre del Condado de Huelva PDO

Tasting notes

Solera: medium intensity amber in color, with mahogany reflections. On the nose, acetic aromas with nutty notes from the 3% of residual alcohol that comes from the Condado Viejo fortified wine used to enrich it. In the mouth, the flavor is winey, full and balanced, with reminiscences of Oloroso sherry.

Reserva: intense mahogany color, with amber reflections. On the nose, the aroma is aggressive with high acetic intensity, notes of aged Condado de Huelva wine and touches of vanilla, dried figs and raisins. In the mouth, the flavor is drying and very sharp with a long finish reminiscent of the Condado Viejo wine.

Añada: intense mahogany color and silky body. Strong acetic aromas, with notes of old oloroso sherry and hints of the oak in which it was aged. The flavor is full, dry, and sharp, with a rich balance. The aftertaste is long and intense, with touches of nuts and spice, given by the residual alcohol from the Condado Viejo wine.

Production / Processing method

The production process involves the following stages:

Harvesting of healthy grapes with a minimum natural ripeness of ten degrees. Crushing and pressing of the grapes to obtain must. Under the PDO regulations, this process must follow traditional methods but with modern technology. The yield must be no more than 70 liters of must or wine for every 100 kg of harvested grapes, or 60 in the case of young white wines.

Preparation of the must for fermentation. For vinegar production, one of the techniques used today in the PDO area is fast, or submerged, fermentation which requires modern technology and guarantees a standard product. Otherwise, naturally soured wines may be used.

After acetic fermentation, the vinegar is mainly aged using the traditional criaderas y solera method typical of Jerez. This is a dynamic process in which the youngest vinegars are methodically mixed with other aged vinegars so that they gradually, after several years, acquire the required characteristics.

The barrels of vinegar are arranged in order of age in ranks of three or four levels, or ‘scales’. The bottom scale is called the solera being nearest to the ground (suelo) and contains the oldest vinegar. The next scale up, called the first criadera, contains slightly younger vinegar. In the second criadera, the vinegar is even younger and so on, up to the last criadera.

When ready, the vinegar is extracted from the bottom barrels but only in small quantities. The amount removed is then replaced with the same amount of vinegar from the barrels in the first criadera. In turn, the vinegar taken from the first criadera is replaced with vinegar from the second, and so on up to the top, where the youngest vinegars are found.

This is what is known in Jerez as ‘running the scales’. The special implements used move the vinegar in the barrels as little as possible, ensuring that the flor( layer of yeas) is not disturbed.

For some vinegars, another traditional method named añadas is used, with the vinegar remaining unmoved in the same container throughout the ageing process.

Geography / Relief and climate

The vineyards are located on excellent land for vine cultivation, with flat or slightly rolling relief. The soils are generally neutral or slightly basic, loamy and averagely fertile. The climate of Condado de Huelva is ideal for vines – mild in winter and spring, with long, hot summers and a marked Atlantic influence. The average annual temperature in this district is 18ºC (64.4ºF), and relative humidity varies between 60% and 80%.

Regulatory Council

Consejo Regulador de la DOP Vinagre del Condado de Huelva
Plaza Ildefonso Pinto, s/n
21710 Bollullos Par del Condado (Huelva)
Tel: (+34) 959 410 322
cr@condadodehuelva.es
www.condadodehuelva.es

Sources:
 
- Spanish Ministry of Agriculture

- Regulatory Council, Vinagre del Condado de Huelva PDO