Michael Brill ) wrote:
(David C Breeden) wrote in message >...
>>
>> I think you've got it backwards. People stir Chardonnay aged sur
>> lie because (for one reasons of many) the lees absorb oxygen, even
>> more effectively than SO2 does. And since in France, where the
>> practice is common, SO2 is often not added until after ML finishes
>> naturally in the spring, this batonnage is really important in
>> helping prevent oxidation.
>>
>Let me try this again. I see at least three reasons to stir lees:

>(1) absorb oxygen (i.e., oxygenate) to avoid reductive problems in the
>lees such as H2S
>(2) get greater exposure of the leesy goodness to the wine
>(3) remove oxygen from the wine

>I guess the question is really about how much oxygen is in the wine?
>I was under the impression that there was very little oxygen in the
>wine and therefore stirring up lees in a bunch of oxygen-free wine
>wouldn't do much to oxygenate the lees. But it sounds like this may
>be wrong... that indeed the wine does contain a meaningful amount of
>oxygen that can be absorbed by the lees. Correct?

>...Michael


Dunno. I haven't seen your wines. I think the idea is to remove
any oxygen that might be there, since the wine has no SO2 and is
therefore utterly unprotected against oxygen. The strring is done to
expose the wine to the lees, and as an extra added bonus, the
stirring is an antioxidant.

Dave
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Dave Breeden