Table of Contents

1. Vineyard and Harvest Team

2. Grape Selection and Transport

3. Architecture of the Presshouse

4. Pressing and Fermentation Process

5. Cellar and Wine Preservation

Vineyard and Harvest Team

Cramant, famed for its white grapes, lies in the Côte des Blancs about 7 km south of Épernay. By the late 19th century, Moët et Chandon operated a "vendangeoir" here to process 120 arpents—equivalent to nearly 52 hectares.

Harvest lasted about 15 days, typically from September 20 to October 5, and involved approximately 400 workers.

The harvest team was methodically organized: grape pickers, small basket carriers (one for every five to six pickers), and unloaders (about four for 100 workers). Each picker collected up to 80 kg per day, placing grapes into small wicker baskets.

Grape Selection and Transport

Porters transferred the baskets onto flat clayettes (measuring 85 cm by 50 cm), set atop panier-mannequins. Between two and four women sorted the grapes on racks, removing any that were dry, unripe, stained, or rotten.

Only the finest grapes were selected and placed into large wicker containers holding 80 to 90 kg of fruit. These were carried to the presshouse either on workers' backs or in pairs using donkeys when the terrain prevented vehicle access.

Architecture of the Presshouse

Moët et Chandon's Cramant vendangeoir featured a large courtyard-facing structure comprising a pressing hall (A) and a cuverie (B).

The pressing hall measured 43.65 m by 10 m and faced northeast to southwest. It was illuminated by aligned windows and six roof skylights and accessed through three large ogival doors.

A full-height attic (C) stood 4.9 m above the hall, accessible via a staircase and connected to the presses below. The slate-covered roof (d) was supported by inclined rafters and reinforced with Saint Andrew's cross braces. 

The facility housed a horizontal press (q) and three large traditional presses (p), each with a gear wheel measuring 2.75 by 2.58 m. Load pressure (b) was applied via two vertical screws driven by a worm screw system. A winch (v) operated a Galle chain to raise or lower the press.

Pressing and Fermentation Process

The must flowed into 20-hectoliter vats (a) embedded in floor pits and covered by wooden panels. Three water pumps serviced cleaning needs, while three pendulum pumps (f), one per press, transferred must the cuverie tanks (c).

The cuverie held four uncovered tanks, each with a 40-hectoliter capacity (20 pièces), raised on wooden beams atop stone blocks. Each tank had a tap positioned 1.2 m above the floor. The 8.10 m by 10 m cuverie opened into the courtyard and connected to a shed (D) for unloading and loading. A secondary door linked it to the pressing room.

A rarely used cellar lay beneath the facility, mainly storing red wine provided free to workers and viticultural masters. The iron-floored cellar had brick-vaulted ceilings and was accessed via a staircase from the courtyard.

Cellar and Wine Preservation

Collection baskets were offloaded under hangar D and moved to the presses using spring wheelbarrows or tricycles. Pressing occurred immediately. Each large press handled up to 4,000 kg of grapes. Three pressings followed: the first and second yielded the 1st and 2nd cuvées, while the remaining pomace went to the horizontal press for a final extraction.

The juice underwent débourbage (settling) in tanks before transfer into 200-liter barrels for fermentation. Some wine was used to top up barrels after primary fermentation, and dried pomace was sent for distillation.

Fermentation lasted 15 to 30 days, depending on the sugar concentration of the must, which was measured beforehand. If sugar was insufficient, a liqueur made from candied sugar and wine was added 5-6 days post-harvest.

Every effort was made to retain natural sugar, ensuring robust secondary fermentation in the bottle. After the vigorous primary fermentation, barrels were moved to cold cellars, nearly filled and sealed to prevent oxidation, preserving the wine's bouquet and finesse.

The wine was then ready for its transformation into sparkling Champagne.

The 19th-century press house at Cramant reveals the technical expertise and manual precision that defined Champagne production in its formative years.

From architecture and grape selection to pressing and preservation, the system developed by Moët et Chandon illustrates a seamless blend of tradition and innovation that still resonates through Champagne’s identity today.

Source

P. Ferrouillat - M. Charvet, Les Celliers construction et matériel vinicole, Paris, 1896

TAG: CRAMANT, 19TH-CENTURY CHAMPAGNE, HISTORICAL HARVEST, CHAMPAGNE ARCHITECTURE, TRADITIONAL PRESSHOUSE, MOËT & CHANDON, CHAMPAGNE CELLAR