Lees (fermentation)

Lees (fermentation)

Lees refers to deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging. The yeast deposits in beer brewing are known as trub. However, yeast deposits from secondary fermentation of beer are referred to as lees.

Normally the wine is transferred to another container (racking), leaving this sediment behind. Some wines, (notably Muscadet and Rémy Martin), are sometimes aged for a time on the lees (a process known as "sur lie"), leading to a distinctive yeasty aroma and taste. The lees may be stirred ("batonnage" in French) in order to promote uptake of the lees character.

The lees are an important component in the making of Ripasso where the left-over lees from Amarone are used to impart more flavour and colour to the partially aged Valpolicello.

References go as far back as the early Jewish scriptures where the phrase "Wine on the Lees" is used in Isaiah 25:6 in the King James version of the Bible.

ur lie

"Sur lie" literally translates from the French as 'on lees', lees being the yeasty residue remaining in the cask after fermentation. 'Sur lie' wines are bottled directly from the lees without racking (a process for filtering the wine), giving an added freshness and creaminess to the wine. Muscadet is made in this fashion.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lees — The term Lees can refer to:* the detritus of fermentation, consisting of dead yeast and fruit debris. See Lees (fermentation); * Lees, Derbyshire, a village in England; * Lees, Greater Manchester, village near Oldham in North West England; * JW… …   Wikipedia

  • Fermentation (wine) — Fermenting must. The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide (as a …   Wikipedia

  • lees — What is left at the bottom of a jar of wine after fermentation (Isa. 25:6, AV), preferred to new wine, hence NRSV translation ‘well aged wines’ and REB ‘well matured’. Jeremiah compares Moab to wine ‘on his lees’ (REB, AV, NJB in Jer. 48:11; NRSV …   Dictionary of the Bible

  • lees — noun plural Etymology: Middle English lie, from Anglo French, from Medieval Latin lia Date: 14th century the sediment of a liquor (as wine) during fermentation and aging ; dregs …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • lees — noun The sediment that settles during fermentation of beverages, consisting of dead yeast and precipitated parts of the fruit. Syn: dregs See Also: lie …   Wiktionary

  • Sparkling wine production — All production methods for sparkling wines have one thing in common: they have the purpose of introducing enough carbon dioxide in the wine to make it effervescent …   Wikipedia

  • Sparkling wine — Frizzante redirects here, for the racehorse, see Frizzante (horse). A glass of Champagne. Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in …   Wikipedia

  • wine — wineless, adj. winish, adj. /wuyn/, n., adj., v., wined, wining. n. 1. the fermented juice of grapes, made in many varieties, such as red, white, sweet, dry, still, and sparkling, for use as a beverage, in cooking, in religious rites, etc., and… …   Universalium

  • Muscadet — For the Italian wine grape known as Muscadet Aigre, see Trebbiano. A Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie wine Muscadet is a white French wine. It is made at the western end of the Loire Valley, near the city of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire region… …   Wikipedia

  • Shōchū — is an alcoholic beverage of Japan, most commonly distilled from barley, sweet potato or rice. Typically it is 25% alcohol by volume, making it weaker than whisky, but stronger than wine and sake.Shōchū is produced everywhere in Japan, yet the… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”