Élevage

Élevage is a French winemaking term meaning “raising” or “bringing up” the wine. It refers to the period and set of cellar practices between the end of fermentation and bottling, during which the wine develops, stabilises and is prepared for release. Élevage may take place in stainless steel, concrete, clay amphora, oak barrels or other vessels.

What élevage can include

• Maturation: ageing the wine in tank, barrel or another vessel to develop texture and flavour.
• Lees management: leaving wine on fine lees or stirring them through bâtonnage where appropriate.
• Racking: transferring wine off settled lees or deposits.
• Topping up: replacing volume lost from barrels to manage headspace and oxygen exposure.
• Fining and filtration: clarifying or stabilising the wine when required.
• Blending: combining lots, grape varieties, parcels or vintages to create the final cuvée.

Why élevage matters

Cellar decisions influence the wine’s texture, aroma, structure, clarity and stability. The producer chooses the vessel, temperature, oxygen exposure, lees contact, racking frequency and maturation duration according to the grape, vintage and intended style. There is no single élevage method suitable for every wine.

Example: a Burgundy Chardonnay may undergo élevage in a combination of new and used oak barrels, with selected lees contact and periodic topping up before blending and bottling.

Élevage versus ageing

Ageing refers specifically to the passage of time during maturation. Élevage is broader: it includes the winemaker’s decisions and cellar operations throughout the wine’s development before bottling.

Chef’s note: élevage is a major part of wine style. A wine’s vessel, lees contact and maturation choices can be as important as grape variety and vineyard site.