Grape-picking begins at the end of September, about 10 days after the flowering of the vine. The harvesting operations involve a wealth of special precautionary measures found only in this area.
Picking is carried out by hand only.
The grape bunches are examined one by one and green or damaged grapes are thrown away. A maximum yield per hectare is fixed, ensuring the quality is not threatened by an over-zealous search for quantity. Pressing is done within hours following the harvest. The grapes are transported with the utmost care, due to their fragility and placed in special wide and low-built presses. The main-objective is to ensure that the juice obtained is not tainted by the skin of the black grapes.