Definition: Turbidity (index of)

The turbidity index is the rate representing the proportion of lees that must remain with the white grape juice during fermentation. Too much lees results in unpleasant wines, while too little lees reduces the wine's potential aromas. Controlling this rate is a delicate task. In conjunction with skin maceration, Denis Dubourdieu has succeeded in developing a technique that is at the origin of the very fine dry white wines currently produced in Bordeaux.