What is 'lees contact' and what effects can it have on wine?

• A. Aging wine on the lees adds creaminess, texture, and complexity, sometimes with bready or nutty notes; lees stirring can enhance these effects.
• B. Removing lees improves aroma.
• C. Lees contact reduces acidity.
• D. Lees contact clumps solids.

Answer: (A)

Lees contact is aging wine on the sediment of dead yeast left after fermentation. As the lees break down during aging, they release compounds such as mannoproteins that soften the wine and enhance texture. The result is a creamier, fuller mouthfeel and often more complex flavors—bread, biscuit, or nutty notes that are especially common in white wines like Chardonnay. Stirring the lees (batonnage) increases this contact and can intensify the texture and aromatic richness, sometimes smoothing acidity and adding additional depth. The idea that removing the lees would improve aroma isn’t aligned with this process, and lees contact doesn’t inherently reduce acidity or cause solids to clump; those aren’t the main effects.