Winter at Wiemer winery is a time for catching up on records, monitoring fermentations, and riddling sparkling wine. We pulled out the riddling racks 2 weeks ago and set up to riddle the 3rd disgorging of our 2006 Cuvee Brut, a dry sparkling wine comprised of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. We are experimenting a little with this sparkling wine to see how varying amounts of time on the lees affect the flavors. Aging on the lees tends to impart classic Champagne flavors to a sparkling wine, like brioche and biscuit. The current release of 2006 Cuvee Brut was disgorged in 2009, and it has some really lively, toasty flavors. The process of riddling includes a partial turn of every bottle each day for 3 weeks, with the intent being to force the yeast sediment (the lees) from the second fermentation into the neck of the bottle so it can be removed during disgorgement.
With each turn the line of sediment gradually cleans the inside of the bottle, resulting in a clear wine. After the riddling cycle has been completed, the bottles will be stored completely upside down until it is time for disgorgement. During disgorgement, we'll take the bottles outside in the dead of winter when it is good and cold so that the sediment in the necks freezes. Then we'll open the bottles, the yeast plug will shoot out, and we'll top off, cork, seal, and label the bottles. This should happen sometime in January or February. In the meantime, I'll keep turning.
