A knowledge

Crushing and pressing

Harvested grapes are then brought to the wine press where they are weighed and grouped together to form 4 000 kg-lots of a same cru and variety. These lots are the load unit – or marc - for the wine press traditionally used in Champagne region.

Four pressures are applied in each pressing cycle to obtain 25,5 hectolitres of must with 20,5 hl of cuvée (first and better juice) and 5 hl of taille (second juice).

The duration of a pressing cycle is 3 or 4 hours.

The production of a white wine from black grapes – which represents 2/3 of the plantings – is possible through a soft pressing which allows a fast flowing of the juice. The pigments contained in black grape skin have no time to colour the must which is running out of the press.

The must from each parcel (or group of parcels) is carefully collected and transferred in settling vats so the various particles, like pips, skin flakes, etc. will settle out. Then, it is placed in tanks, or sometimes in barrels, where the first alcohol fermenttion starts.