Taille

Taille meaning in Champagne pressing

Taille is the second pressing fraction in Champagne, collected after the first and finest juice known as the cuvée. Under the standard Champagne pressing model, a 4,000 kg marc yields up to 2,550 liters of juice: the first 2,050 liters are the cuvée and the next 500 liters are the taille. Taille juice tends to be darker in color and contain more phenolics, potassium, and coarser structural elements than cuvée juice, so many prestige blends limit or avoid it. It can still be useful for adding body or fruit to certain styles when handled carefully.