Lies

French · lees

Lees (lies) are, in EU law, the residue that accumulates in vessels containing wine after fermentation, during storage or after treatment.1 In sparkling wine the word means the dead yeast left after the second fermentation.2

Time on lees is a legal measure of quality. EU traditional method terms require at least nine months of uninterrupted contact with the lees; bottle-fermented requires at least 90 days.3

During this time the yeast breaks down, which is autolysis.4 Then remuage gathers the lees onto the closure and dégorgement removes them.5 See vieillissement sur lies and ageing on lees.

See also

Ageing on leesMethodsAutolyseGlossaryVieillissement sur liesGlossaryMinimum ageing by appellationMethods

Sources

  1. legislation.gov.uk (copy of EU OJ text). Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Annex II Part IV (terms used in the wine sector), original version as adopted (2013-12-17)
  2. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Tirage or bottling the blended wine
  3. EUR-Lex. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (consolidated text), Articles 47, 48, 49, 53, 54 and Annex III Part A (2023-12-08)
  4. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The slow awakening of the aromas
  5. OIV International Code of Oenological Practices, II.4.2 Second fermentation in bottle (II.4.2.1-II.4.2.6)

Facts checked on 2026-10-19