One of the wines we’ll be tasting this week is a Muscadet Sevre et Maine Sur Lie. A lot is going on in the name of this wine, but we want to focus on the "Sur Lie" part this week. Sur Lie, pronounced "sir lee" literally means on the lees. So, what are lees? Lees are essentially leftover yeast cells. Once fermentation has been completed the yeast that turned sugar into alcohol dies off and creates a layer of thick sediment on the bottom of whatever was used for fermentation (usually a barrel or tank of some kind). Usually, the wine is transferred off the lees, a process called racking, but sometimes winemakers will intentionally leave the wine to rest on the lees for, sometimes this may be for a few weeks, but it can be for a few months or even a few years!

So why do this? What do the lees do for a wine? Well, the lees can add both texture and flavor to the wine. The texture becomes creamier and more rounded, without getting buttery notes from malolactic conversion or oaky notes from a barrel. The lees can also provide a range of flavors, sometimes it is yeasty notes like baked brioche, other times it can give aromas that smell like a struck match (in a good way, we promise!). These components come together to make a more interesting and complex wine.

In the wines of Muscadet Sevre et Maine a bit of complexity is needed. The grape here is called Melon de Bourgogne, a fairly neutral grape with high acidity, so bit of lees aging can go a long way to make the wine both more texturally interesting and have a better depth of flavor. The process, with some variations, is used around the world for everything from high end California Chardonnays to traditional method sparkling wines the world over. Next time you hear the term Sur Lie you’ll know what they mean!