Bâtonnage

Bâtonage is the process of stirring barrels, or any other vessel holding wine to re-suspend lees, consisting mostly of dead yeast. Stirring the lees impacts the texture, aroma and flavour. In addition, the process introduces oxygen as the vessel must be unsealed to insert the stirrer.

Chief Wine Hacker

« Back to Wine Words Index

Bâtonnage is the process of stirring barrels, or any other vessel holding wine to re-suspend lees, consisting mostly of dead yeast. Stirring the lees impacts the texture, aroma and flavour. In addition, the process introduces oxygen as the vessel must be unsealed to insert the stirrer. It’s an important part of the élévage of the wine. Typically stirring will be more frequent in the early phase of ageing. Frequency will be determined by experience and tasting the wine. There is little point in stirring the wine more frequently than weekly as the lees takes a week to settle and the impact of the introduction of oxygen could be too severe.

 

Synonyms:
Lees Stirring
« Back to Wine Words Index

Feeling Thirsty?

Domaine Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022

Chardonnay from Aloxe-Corton, Côte du Beaune

Domaine Faiveley Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022

A more restrained nose only grudgingly displays its aromas of Granny Smith apples, anise, mineral reduction and more discreet floral elements. The racy and tautly muscular largebodied flavors possess a really lovely texture thanks to the abundant sappy dry extract that also serves to buffer the firm acidity shaping the beautifully long, stony and impeccably well-balanced finale. This also needs to develop better depth but given how tightly wound it is, and given the evident quality of the underl

Vintage 2022
$865
Add to cart
Dr Bürklin-Wolf Riesling Forster 'Pechstein' Grand Cru MAGNUM 2021

Riesling from Pfalz, Germany

Dr Bürklin-Wolf Riesling Forster ‘Pechstein’ Grand Cru MAGNUM 2021

Bürklin's 2021 Pechstein G.C. shows a deep, pure, intense and saline, very complex and elegant bouquet of concentrated tropical fruit aromas intertwined with flinty, iodine and citrus aromas. Pure, very intense and concentrated on the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich, iodine-inflected and stimulatingly saline Pechstein with fine tannins and a long, dense, complex and tensioned finish. 12.5% stated alcohol. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022. Drink 2029-2055Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine

Vintage 2021 Magnum 1.5L
$1,090
$1070ea in any 3+
$1050ea in any 6+
Add to cart
Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2021

Nebbiolo from Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo

Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto 2021

You feel the signature of an elegant vintage in the superbly direct and focused Bruno Giacosa 2021 Barolo Falletto. This beautiful wine offers bright berry fruit, blue flower and crushed stone. This is a complete wine, with aromatic intensity that is matched to the depth of mouthfeel and structure. Drink 2027-2055Moncia Larner, The Wine Advocate 97 PointsIn the great years when a Barolo ‘Falletto Vigna Le Rocche’ are produced, the fruit for Barolo ‘Falletto’ comes from all bu

Vintage 2021
$832
$812ea in any 3+
$792ea in any 6+
Add to cart
Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru 'Les Champonnets' 2018

Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte-de-Nuits

Denis Mortet Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru ‘Les Champonnets’ 2018

Les Champonnets, situated on the same line as the Grands Crus and very near to Ruchottes-Chambertin, is tucked up high near the entrance of the Lavaux combe (or valley). Mortet's parcel here used to make up almost half of his 1er Cru bottling above, and 2014 was the first year this parcel was vinified and bottled separately. It comes from a combination of very old vines (60-70 years old) and some younger, at around 30 years old. The soil is deep, yet with a strong limestone component that shows

Vintage 2018
$695
$675ea in any 3+
$655ea in any 6+
Add to cart