What are the pressings?
When the grapes have been picked, they are quickly pressed in batches of 4,000kg. The first pressing, la cuvée produces 2,050 litres and is the best. The second pressing, la taille produces 410 litres, and the third pressing, la deuxième taille produces about 200 litres. The best champagne houses use primarily the first pressing, with perhaps a little of the second or third pressing used for blending. This is all very strictly regulated and the quantities produced and how much of each can be used or must be vatted for future use vary from year to year.
