Sur lies élevage practice to modulate the features of red wines from calcareous soils with different textures

Abstract

BackgroundIn Sicilian calcareous soils, red wines often display unripeness and bitterness features. To enhance wine quality, we employed the ‘sur lies élevage’ technique, involving prolonged contact of dead yeast cells with the wine to favor the extraction of yeast cellular components through cell lysis. The 7 month treatment utilized two types of Chardonnay lies: fresh and previously matured. To overcome challenges in retrieving lies from red winemaking, we have recovered the lies from a white winemaking. Additionally, the lies underwent a preliminary passage on a red wine to minimize color adsorption on yeast cell walls.ResultsThe sur lies treatment effectively reduced astringency, bitterness, and brown pigment in wines, with partial removal of red color. It successfully eliminated quercetin aglycone and induced remarkable changes in the aromatic profile, showing increased ethyl esters and relative fatty acids. Sensory evaluations revealed sur lies‐treated wines had fruitier and more complex characteristics compared to untreated wines. Matured lies had a greater impact on enhancing fruitiness than fresh lies.ConclusionsThe treatments mitigated the unripeness and bitterness of studied wines. Sur lies treatment improved the aromatic profile, leading to fruitier and more complex notes, enhancing overall sensory quality. Matured lies showed greater efficacy in elevating fruitiness than fresh lies. These findings highlight the value of the sur lies technique in enhancing the quality and sensory attributes of Nero d'Avola and Syrah wines from Sicilian calcareous soils. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effect of yeast autolysis on the composition of wine

“…When vinifying on lees, it is also important to be aware of sulfur compounds that can adversely affect the sensory profile of the wine (hydrogen sulfide, mercaptans) [38]. In this context, it is important to pay attention to these compounds and take appropriate measures if they are present in the wine [39], [40]. One option is to re-homogenize the lees with the wine.…”