Lees Aging & Dosage

How long does Trentodoc rest on the lees? At least 15 months without a vintage, 24 months with a vintage, and 36 months as Riserva, counted from the second fermentation. Aging on the sediment is called lees aging and is the heart of the classic method.

During this time, the yeast slowly breaks down. Experts call this autolysis. The cell walls disintegrate, releasing compounds that bring aromas of bread crust, brioche, almond, and nut, along with a creamier mousse. The longer this contact lasts, the more pronounced these notes become, though freshness must hold up too—and the high-altitude sites help with that.

After lees aging, the yeast has to come back out. The bottle is placed on a riddling rack or in a riddling machine and is turned slightly and tilted more steeply each day over several weeks, until the sediment settles in the neck against the crown cap. This turning process is called remuage in French and today is usually done mechanically.

During disgorgement, the neck of the bottle is briefly deep-frozen so that the yeast sediment shoots out as a solid plug once the crown cap is removed. A small amount of wine is lost in the process, and the bottle must then be topped up. This is done with the dosage.

The dosage is a splash of liqueur made from wine and sugar that the house adds before the bottle receives its final cork. Its quantity determines the sweetness level. Brut is the common style for Trentodoc, meaning under 12 grams of sugar per liter; there's also Extra Brut with under 6 grams, and Brut Nature with under 3 grams and no added sugar.

The bottle then rests for several more weeks until the dosage has integrated with the wine, and only then is it labeled. Anyone opening a Riserva in Trento is holding a bottle that has aged on the lees for at least three years, and you can taste it: less fruit, more bread and nut, a long finish.