Lees - Deposit of dead yeast that falls to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging. Normally the wine is transferred to another container (racked), leaving this sediment behind. Some wines, (notably Muscadet), are sometimes aged for a time on the lees (sur lie), leading to a distinctive yeasty aroma and taste. The lees may be stirred (batonnage in French) in order to promote uptake of lees character.