In Champagne pressing, what is cuvée and what is taille, and which is generally higher quality?

• A. Cuvée is the juice from the first pressing; Taille comes from later pressings; cuvée is higher quality.
• B. Cuvée is the juice from later pressings; Taille comes from the first pressing; cuvée is higher quality.
• C. Cuvée is the sediment; Taille is the clear juice.
• D. Cuvée and Taille refer to sugar levels.

Answer: (A)

In Champagne pressing, the important distinction is between the juice from the first pressing and the juice from later pressings. The first pressing yields the cuvée, which is the purest with the lightest extraction of phenolics, producing a clean, delicate base with good acidity for premium wines. The later pressings produce the taille, which contains more skins, seeds, and solids, leading to more color, tannin, and structure but a rougher, heavier profile. Because cuvée juice is gentler and higher in quality for base wines, it is generally considered the better, more desirable category. The other options mix up the definitions, as cuvée is not sediment and it isn’t defined by sugar levels.