What is a possible disadvantage of lees aging for a red wine?

• A. reduced color intensity
• B. increased color intensity
• C. decreased aroma
• D. reduced tannin

Answer: (A)

Lees aging introduces dead yeast and other solids into contact with the wine. In red wines, pigments like anthocyanins can be adsorbed onto the lees and later precipitate out as the wine ages. This removal of colored compounds makes the wine appear lighter, so color intensity can decrease. While aging on the lees can add texture and aromatic complexity from autolysis products, the color can fade, making reduced color intensity a possible disadvantage. The other options don’t fit as well because increasing color intensity isn’t typically seen with lees contact, and reductions in aroma or tannin aren’t the standard drawback described here—the former can even accompany the autolytic development, and tannins tend to become more integrated rather than reduced.