wine knowledge
“Our Sekt matures for up to 15 years on the lees.”
Caroline Diel
Production of sekt (sparkling wine)
Sekt is produced at Schlossgut Diel based on the principle of whole cluster pressing. This means that whole intact Riesling clusters are filled directly into the press to avoid liberating excessive phenols from the skin. First fermentation is the same as for white wines. In the case of sparkling wine, however, a second fermentation process, known as bottle fermentation, also follows. Thereafter the sekt matures for 5, sometimes even as many as 15 years on the lees.
This extended lees contact promotes an extra-fine mousse and gives the sekt its creamy and highly vinous character. Once the sekt is ready, it is moved to the riddling board for daily “riddling”—a quarter turn to bring the bottle slowly from a horizontal to a vertical position. At that point, the bottle is transitioned into dégorgement: the yeast is removed from the bottle, at which point the dosage is added and the bottle is sealed using natural cork.