What are Lees? This is a question I am asked very regularly. And to be fair, in masterclasses and tastings I do find myself talking about lees very regularly. Mind you, I love this sludgy stuff that adds so much enjoyment to wine.

And it is becoming more likely too, to find wines that still contain their ‘lees’. With the increase of ancestral method sparkling and pétillant naturel wines, winelovers may have already been introduced to the style. 

To find out more about these wines, please read ‘What are Pet Nat wines? Should you be drinking them?  And ‘I always thought that wine was a ‘natural’ product.

Lees are…

According to the Cambridge Dictionary: the lees refers to 

“the substance that is left at the bottom of a container of liquid, especially a container of wine or beer.”

A great example of the influence of lees can be seen in traditionally made sparkling wines. In most sparkling wines, when yeast cells have finished feeding on the sugars in the wine they die. At this point the dead yeast cells form part of the sediment called ‘lees’. 

The lees will also contain other particulate that has finally fallen to the bottom of the vessel containing the wine. This includes cells from skins and other parts of the grape. Allowing the wine to have contact with this sediment adds a sense of richness. That contact also adds flavours and aromas to wines depending on how long the wine remains in contact with these dead yeast cells.

Wines that have noticeable lees influence

It is not just sparkling wines that you will notice the influence of lees contact though. There are many still white wines where winemakers have used contact with these dead yeast cells to great, and simply delicious, success!

For instance, you might find that your favourite Chardonnay wines are those which have extensive lees contact. So too, wines such as Muscadet Sevre et Maine which very often will have the term ‘sur lie’ on the label. That ‘sur lie’ is an indication that the wine has spent time in contact with its dead yeast cells.

Another French term that you should for is ‘battonage’. Battonage is a term that indicates that the winemaker stirs the sediment regularly through the wine. This means the wine has maximum contact with those dead yeast cells. Of course, this stirring boosts the influence of those lees and the wines are even more creamy and textural.

Many wines will have spent time ‘on lees’ and unless you read the winemaking notes for the wine, you might not know for sure. However, the creamy taste and silky and creamy texture, like a polish, that the wines acquire will be a good indication. 

How to get the lees out…

To remove the lees from the wine that you buy, there are several methods. For sparkling wine, if the wine traditionally made, the wines will go through a disgorgement process. The traditional method produces wines such as Champagnes, Cavas, Cremant de Loire and many other sparkling wines around the world. 

This is where the sediment settles into the top of the wine bottle through careful bottle manoeuvring. Then the naturally built up pressure of the carbon dioxide will eject the sediment from the bottle when opened. A cork goes into the bottle or a cap on top, and the wine is ready for sale.  

Some sparkling wines and some still wines are filtered to remove any remaining dead yeast cells. If a wine has been matured in the barrel with its lees, it is likely that the lees will be left to settle and then the wine is very carefully drawn off leaving the sediment behind. 

These are just some of the ways to remove the lees from a wine ready for sale or for maturing without contact with the dead yeast cells.

Can you use the lees after?

Some winemakers will use the lees from another wine ferment to add body, complexity and texture to a wine they are just fermenting. It is becoming more common to find Italian red wines with the term ‘ripasso’ on the label. They are popular and for good reason.  Valpolicella is a good region to find these wines. 

For more information why not read The Italian Red Revival … Part 1  {It is not all cut and dried!}

Grappa, uses the pomace (skins etc) from wine ferments as a base for fermenting a low alcohol ‘wine’ for distillation. They can also add lees to this as well. I have recently also come across some other spirits using the sediment from wine fermentation to add complexity.

There also has been experimentation of adding these dead yeast cells in food preparation. The addition of lees can extend the period of freshness of some foods. Undoubtedly an interesting example is adding it to meat as an ingredient for burgers. 

Here are some wines that have had lees contact to start with:
Yabby Lake Chardonnay Single Vineyard
Why you should be drinking Organic Champagne!
Le Bijou de Sophie Valrose