Levures

French · yeasts

Levures are yeasts. Champagne tirage yeasts must be strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and the culture contains 40-80 million live cells per ml.1

Yeast converts sugar into alcohol and CO2, the fermentation alcoolique.2 For the second fermentation a selected culture is added to the cuvée with the liqueur de tirage; this is levurage.3

After the prise de mousse the dead yeast forms the lees,1 and its breakdown is autolysis.4 The Union des Maisons de Champagne says the tirage liqueur adds 24 g of sugar per litre of blended wine.1 Autolysis starts within about three months after the second fermentation.5 See ageing on lees.

See also

LevurageGlossaryLiesGlossaryAutolyseGlossaryTirageMethodsAgeing on leesMethods

Sources

  1. Union des Maisons de Champagne. Tirage or bottling the blended wine
  2. Comité Champagne (champagne.education). Fiche Élaboration du Champagne (FR) (2024-05)
  3. OIV International Code of Oenological Practices, II.4.1 Definitions common to all sparkling wines (II.4.1.1-II.4.1.10)
  4. Comité Champagne (champagne.fr). Maturation
  5. Union des Maisons de Champagne (UMC). The slow awakening of the aromas

Facts checked on 2026-10-19