Lees Ageing & Dosage

A sparkling wine made by traditional bottle fermentation must rest on its lees for at least nine months. The house of Kessler states around 20 months for its sparkling wines, according to its own figures. They rest in the vaults of the Speyrer Pfleghof in Esslingen. Shorter ageing yields fresher fruit, while longer ageing brings more notes of pastry and nuts.

During this time, the yeast cells die off and release compounds into the wine. Experts call this autolysis. It produces notes of bread and brioche along with a creamy mousse. Without this time, a sparkling wine would be nothing more than a white wine with added fizz.

In the end, the yeast has to come back out. The bottles are riddled until the sediment collects in the neck, then the neck is frozen, and during disgorgement the plug of sediment is shot out by the pressure. Kessler describes its work as a craft in which many steps are still done by hand.

Afterward comes the dosage, the shipping dosage — a dash of wine with a little sugar. This raises the wine's alcohol by no more than 0.5 percent by volume. It determines whether a sparkling wine tastes dry or off-dry.

On the label, the levels read as follows: Brut Nature under 3 grams of sugar per liter, Extra Brut up to 6, Brut under 12. Those who read "Extra Dry" will, despite the name, actually get more sugar — 12 to 17 grams. "Trocken" (dry) means as much as 17 to 32 grams, "halbtrocken" (off-dry) 32 to 50, and "mild" more than 50. A deviation of 3 grams is permitted.

In the region, many people prefer to drink Riesling sparkling wine as Brut. The variety's acidity carries even a small amount of residual sweetness without the wine tasting cloying.