Sur Lies

Sometimes it'll say on the label; sometimes on the winery's website.

Many years ago when I first started doing sur lie on my Chardonnay it was rather uncommon and considered risky. Most Chardonnay was cold tank fermented and racked from the lees into barrels for aging. There's still a lot of that nowadays, but it's mostly the big bulk producers. The boutique producers very often do sur lie aging.

Your Brehm Chardonnay should be a good candidate for sur lie - even if you're doing it in a carboy rather than a barrel. The most important things are: (1) Get the juice well settled - as clear as possible - before fermentation. BTW, prior to fermentation is the time to dump in wood chips if you're oaking your wine. You can leave them in through the sur lie aging process. (2) Use yeast nutrient and vitamin additions, spaced over the course of the fermentation. Chardonnay is notoriously nutrient deficient and that tends to promote H2S problems, as well as stuck fermentations. (3) Keep a vigilant nose out for signs of H2S formation. (4) When the fermentation has just about pooped out, stir the bottom every few days to prevent a reductive condition in the lees during ML. Of those 4 items, the first and second seem to be the most important.

Certain yeast strains are known to tend to produce H2S, and it's best to avoid them. Montrachet is a known offender (Although I haven't had H2S problems with it, I find it far too vigorous for white wine fermentations). CY3079 is clean, as is VL2 and Epernay II (both low foamers), although I wouldn't recommend the latter for juice much over 23° Brix because of its tendency to stick off-dry.

Good luck!

Tom S www.chateauburbank.com