Press capacities range from 2,000 to 12,000 kilos of whole grapes. Until the end of the 1980s, the Champagne region used only traditional vertical presses operated by hand. They still account for 28% of the plant, but the mechanization of " retrousse " operations (reworking of the marc between pressings) has contributed to the development of horizontal presses (side-membrane presses, inclined-platen presses, turning-mill presses) controlled by automatic consoles that can memorize several programs.
Preserving the typicity of our crus is important. Each vintage arriving for pressing is identified by the date and time of picking. They are pressed separately, to ensure maximum traceability of their origin. To do this, we create homogeneous marcs: the same grape variety, the same plot or a group of comparable plots.
To make rosé champagne, the maceration process takes place before pressing. Black-skinned, de-stemmed grapes are left to macerate for a few hours in vats (24 to 72 hours, depending on the year) to give the juice the desired color.
Pressing centers are accredited. Like all processes requiring a high level of quality in Champagne, pressing is regulated by the AOC. The main criteria for approval are numerous. The press must be located in a covered area, the capacity of the press must comply with standards, the number of marcs per day must not be exceeded, " pruning " must be carried out individually from the main press, there must be minimal visibility from the pressing station of the level and flow rate, the weighing device must be adapted, the storage area must also be covered, the height of fall of the grapes must be as low as possible, and attention to juice fractionation is important.
Pressing is an important part of the sustainable viticulture cycle. In fact, between each " marc ", the press must be emptied and cleaned with water. As part of the sustainable viticulture approach, after pressing, the " aignes " (grape remains) must be sent to the distillery, and wine effluents(water used to clean presses, grape crates, vats, etc.) are recovered for treatment so as not to harm the environment.