Unfiltered
Wine bottled without passing through a filter — texture and complexity preserved
What Filtration Does
Filtration passes wine through a medium (diatomaceous earth, cellulose pads, or membrane filters) to remove particles. Tight filtration can remove yeast cells and bacteria, reducing the risk of refermentation in bottle. It produces a bright, stable wine.
The cost is textural. Filtration removes not just particles but also compounds that contribute to mouthfeel, aromatic complexity, and the sense of weight and depth in a wine.
The Natural Approach
Most natural wine producers avoid filtration, preferring to allow wine to clarify naturally through racking, cold stabilization, and extended settling. This requires patience, good cellar hygiene, and confidence in the wine's stability — ideally because the grapes were healthy and the fermentation was complete.
What to Expect
Unfiltered wines may throw sediment over time, particularly in reds. Storing bottles upright for 24 hours before opening allows sediment to settle. Some haze is normal and not a flaw. Decanting can help if sediment is significant.