Decoding the wine label: Sur lie

Have you ever seen the term sur lie on a wine label? It’s not a grape and not a wine region, but a winemaking method used to give certain styles of white wine a rounder texture and a more complex flavor profile.

Sur lie translates from French to “on the lees”, lees being the left over yeast cells that fall to the bottom of the fermentation vessel after the alcoholic fermentation of the wine is finished. During fermentation the yeast helps turn the sugar in the grape must into alcohol, and when there is no more sugar for the yeast to convert it will die and fall to the bottom of the tank or barrel. When sur lie is written on a wine label that means the wine has been left to age together with the lees long after fermentation. This will start a reaction where the lees provide the wine with a bigger body and a creamier texture, as well as elegant aromas of bread. This reaction usually takes place after about six months, but the wine could age for longer if desired by the winemaker. Before bottling the wine, you filter it to separate the lees and get a beautiful, clear wine. This method is usually used for less aromatic grape varieties that might profit from the added complexity that the lees ageing provides.

The term sur lie is mostly associated with white wines from western Loire, France, mainly from the region Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine AOC. The grape, like the region, is called Muscadet and is a fresh but rather neutral grape variety on its own. However, the method is used in other parts of the world as well. In Spain it’s called sobre lías, and it’s also a common method to use for high quality sparkling wines, even though you will not find the term written on the label in that case.

When buying and enjoying a sur lie bottle of wine you will get an elegant white wine with citrus and apple flavor, a medium body and a bread like finish. Perfect for elegant white fish courses, or raw oysters like the Loire locals prefers to pair it with.