Our grapes are hand harvested in shallow picking crates to prevent berry bruising. Early morning harvests ensure the grapes remain cold when picked. The grapes are transported in refrigerated trucks to the cellar, offloaded and packed in a cold room to reach 5°C before pressing starts. Three different quality fractions are retrieved at pressing: Cuvée – high quality free run juice, Première Taille – first extraction, Deuxieme Taille – second extraction. The juice is settled for three days before being racked off the sediment and undergoing cold fermentation.

A small fraction is fermented in second to fourth fill barrels, and the majority in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. No lees contact is given after fermentation. Malolactic fermentation is prevented.Pinot Noir grapes bring colour to the rosé. This component undergoes cold maceration after being destemmed, lasting approximately 10 days, after which the clean juice is racked off the skins and pips, and inoculated with a yeast culture.

The Le Lude Vintage range undergoes secondary fermentation under crown cap in bottle in our dark temperature-controlled caves beyond our minimum of 36 months lees aging before being disgorged. Longer lees ageing provides tertiary flavour development, a richer textured mousse and extra layers of complexity enjoyed in Le Lude’s Vintage Range. At disgorgement, a specific dosage of sugar is added to balance the wine’s palate