Before a Bourgogne is bottled, the winemaker faces another set of decisions. Should the wine be clarified? Should tiny particles be removed? And how much intervention is necessary before the wine leaves the cellar? Two techniques commonly associated with this final stage are fining and filtration. They are often mentioned together, but they are not the same. Fining uses an added substance to bind with unwanted particles or compounds in the wine. Filtration physically removes particles by passing the wine through a filter. Both can help produce a clear and stable wine. Both can also be used very gently — or avoided altogether.
What is fining?
Even after months of élevage, wine can contain suspended particles, proteins, tannins and other compounds. During fining, a substance known as a fining agent is added to the wine. It interacts with particular compounds, causing them to form larger particles that settle and can subsequently be removed. Different fining agents have different purposes. Traditionally, substances such as egg white have been used to soften or clarify red wines. Bentonite, a type of clay, is commonly used in white wine to remove unstable proteins. Other agents may be based on plant proteins or different materials. The choice depends on the wine and what the winemaker wants to achieve.
Why fine a Bourgogne?
Clarity is one reason, but appearance is not the only consideration. Fining can also modify the structure of a wine. In Pinot Noir, for example, it may be used to remove some particularly harsh or astringent tannins. For white wines, fining can contribute to stability and reduce the possibility of unwanted haze developing later in the bottle. The challenge is restraint. Fining does not selectively remove only the things a winemaker dislikes. Excessive treatment can potentially reduce desirable flavour, aroma or texture as well. For fine Bourgogne, the objective is therefore usually the minimum intervention necessary to achieve the desired result.
Fining is an optional winemaking choice used to clarify wine or soften tannins. Many traditional and modern producers in Bourgogne choose to forgo fining (and often filtration) entirely to preserve the maximum amount of texture, flavor complexity, and natural character in their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
What is filtration?
Filtration works differently. Instead of adding a substance that binds with components in the wine, the wine is passed through a filtering medium that physically retains particles. There are different levels of filtration, ranging from relatively coarse clarification to very fine filtration capable of removing yeast and bacteria. The appropriate method depends on what the producer is trying to achieve. A light filtration might simply improve clarity before bottling. A much finer filtration can provide additional microbiological stability, reducing the risk that unwanted fermentation or microbial activity occurs after the wine has been bottled.
Why would a producer avoid filtration?
Among serious wine lovers, you may encounter bottles proudly described as unfiltered, or non filtré. The idea is that avoiding filtration leaves the wine as untouched as possible. Some producers believe that unnecessary filtration can reduce texture or subtly diminish aromatic complexity, particularly when it is performed aggressively. But unfiltered should not automatically be interpreted as better. A wine that is already naturally clear and stable after careful élevage may require little or no filtration. Another wine might benefit considerably from gentle filtration before bottling. The condition of the wine matters more than ideology.
Unfined and unfiltered
Occasionally a Bourgogne is labelled unfined and unfiltered. This means the producer has chosen not to use either process before bottling. Such wines can contain harmless sediment or appear slightly less brilliant in the glass. Sediment is not necessarily a fault. In an older Pinot Noir, it is entirely normal for pigments, tannins and other components to precipitate naturally as the wine develops. This is one reason mature Bourgogne is sometimes carefully decanted.
Does filtration remove flavour?
This is a much-debated question. Heavy-handed processing can affect a wine, and many quality-conscious winemakers therefore avoid unnecessary filtration. However, modern filtration can also be extremely precise and gentle. It is too simplistic to say that filtered wines have less flavour. A carefully filtered Bourgogne can retain enormous complexity, while leaving a wine unfiltered provides no guarantee of greater quality. As with so many aspects of winemaking, execution matters.
The final decision before bottling
Fining and filtration take place towards the end of a much longer journey. By this point, the grower has harvested the grapes, completed fermentation and spent months guiding the wine through élevage. The final task is to prepare it for a potentially long life in bottle. Some wines need intervention. Others need almost none. For the Bourgogne drinker, terms such as unfined and unfiltered can therefore provide interesting information about how a wine was made — but they should not be treated as quality classifications. The best approach is not necessarily to do nothing. It is to understand what the wine needs, and to do no more than necessary.