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Lees (fermentation)
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Lees refers to deposits of dead yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...

 or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of a vat
Vat
Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...

 of wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

 after fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
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...

 and ageing. The yeast deposits in beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

 brewing are known as trub
Trub (brewing)
In the process of brewing beer, trub refers to the layer of sediment that appears at the bottom of the fermenter after yeast has completed the bulk of the fermentation...

. However, yeast deposits from secondary fermentation of beer
Bottle conditioning
Bottle conditioned beers are either unfiltered so the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle, or filtered and then reseeded with yeast so that an additional fermentation may take place.-Priming:...

 are referred to as lees.

Normally the wine is transferred to another container (racking
Racking
Racking is the process of siphoning the wine or beer off the lees into a new, clean barrel or in the case of beer off the trub. Racking allows clarification and aids in stabilization. Wine that is allowed to age on the lees often develops "off-tastes". A racking hose or tubing is used and can be...

), leaving this sediment behind. Some wines (notably Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...

, Champagne and Muscadet
Muscadet
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 neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as...

) 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 (bâtonage in French) in order to promote uptake of the lees flavour.

The lees are an important component in the making of Ripasso where the left-over lees from Amarone
Amarone
Amarone della Valpolicella, usually known as Amarone, is a typically rich Italian dry red wine made from the partially dried grapes of the Corvina , Rondinella and Molinara varieties. The wine was awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata status in December 1990...

 are used to impart more flavour and colour to partially-aged Valpolicella
Valpolicella
Valpolicella is a viticultural zone of the province of Verona, Italy, east of Lake Garda. The hilly agricultural and marble-quarrying region of small holdings north of the Adige is famous for wine production. Valpolicella ranks just after Chianti in total Italian Denominazione di Origine...

.

References go as far back as the early translations of Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 scriptures where the phrase "Wine on the lees" is used in Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...

 25:6 in the King James version of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

.

Sur lie

Sur lie literally translates from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 as 'on lees'. 'Sur lie' wines are bottled directly from the lees without racking
Racking
Racking is the process of siphoning the wine or beer off the lees into a new, clean barrel or in the case of beer off the trub. Racking allows clarification and aids in stabilization. Wine that is allowed to age on the lees often develops "off-tastes". A racking hose or tubing is used and can be...

 (a process for filtering the wine). In the case of great Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...

, such as Montrachet
Montrachet
Montrachet is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée and Grand Cru vineyard for white wine from Chardonnay in the Côte de Beaune subregion of Burgundy. It is situated across the border between the two communes of Chassagne-Montrachet and Puligny-Montrachet and produces what many consider to be the...

, this adds a toasty, nutty "hazelnut" quality and additional depth and complexity, especially on the finish. Chemically this can alter the oak flavour molecules increasing the integration, and making the oak seem less obtrusive to the palate. This is desirable because oak tannins are a polyphenolic acid, and can be harsh. This process can also give an added freshness and creaminess to the wine, and improve colour
Wine color
The color of wine is one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of wines. Color is also an element in wine tasting since heavy wines generally have a deeper color. The accessory traditionally used to judge the wine color was the tastevin, a shallow cup allowing to see the color of the...

 and clarity. Muscadet
Muscadet
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 neighboring the Brittany Region. More Muscadet is produced than any other Loire wine. It is made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape, often referred to simply as...

 is made in this fashion. The effect of the lees during bottle fermentation for at least five years on champagne is considerable. The "bready" toasty notes associated with some of the greatest sparkling wines made are the result of 'sur lie' ageing.

Beer on lees is also sometimes made. Many of the beers offered by the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 based Unibroue
Unibroue
Unibroue is a brewery located in Chambly, Quebec, Canada that was started by Quebec native André Dion and Serge Racine. It was purchased by Sleeman Breweries Ltd. in 2004, which itself was taken over by Sapporo in 2006. The company was incorporated in 1993, exporting to the United States in...

 are on lees.

Light lees protocol

A process in which yeast is added to wine that has completed primary fermentation. This secondary yeast addition typically remains in the wine from two to eight weeks, depending on the wine maker's goals. The yeast is stirred (bâtonage) frequently during the protocol, and racked
Racking
Racking is the process of siphoning the wine or beer off the lees into a new, clean barrel or in the case of beer off the trub. Racking allows clarification and aids in stabilization. Wine that is allowed to age on the lees often develops "off-tastes". A racking hose or tubing is used and can be...

 off when the protocol is complete. Also known as secondary autolysis
Autolysis (wine)
Autolysis in winemaking relates to the complex chemical reactions that take place when a wine spends time in contact with the lees, or dead yeast cells, after fermentation. While for some wines autolysis is undesirable, it is a vital component in shaping the flavors and mouth feel associated with...

, a light lees protocol releases additional mannoproteins and polysaccharides that can influence the flavour and mouth feel of the wine.

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