Pressing and must selection

The grapes are always picked by hand and taken quickly to the winery in Damery. As they enter the courtyard after picking, the grapes are sorted by variety and quality. Those from the very best plots are isolated to be pressed and vinified separately. These wines will then be used to make a great vintage wine if the year is good enough to justify it, or will be blended with the other wines to give them that unique AR Lenoble style.

4,000 kilos of grapes are loaded onto each of the three vertical wooden presses specific to the Champagne-making tradition. Quality Approved by the Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Champagne (C.I.V.C.), these presses ensure gentle pressing of the grapes. Of the 4,000 kg of grapes, 2,550 litres of must, or grape juice, will be extracted. The first 2,050 litres make up the "Cuvée" and the remaining 500 are called the "Taille". AR Lenoble champagnes are made exclusively with the Cuvées, in other words from the nectar obtained in the first press.