Christian Drouin Carafe Pierre Pivet Calvados Pays d'Auge

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 42%

Special Features:

For this blend, Christian Drouin selects vintage Calvados aged for over 20 years from its cellars. Extended cask maturation brings fruit, spice and rancio together in a distinctly mature character. The edition honours Pierre Pivet, the house's first distiller, who helped Christian Drouin senior establish his Calvados production.

This Calvados Pays d'Auge is presented at 42% in a 0.7-litre decanter. It comes with a wooden box with a viewing window. The bottling received a gold medal from Gilbert & Gaillard in 2015.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Delicate lacquer notes and rancio appear first, alongside apricots and cherries steeped in brandy. Ripe apples and apple compote then emerge. As the nose opens up, honey, apple blossom and lilac join in, gradually becoming enveloped in delicate woody notes.
• Palate: The opening is firm and rich in fruit, with mirabelle plums, quinces and pears, alongside pronounced chocolate and spice notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. On the mid-palate, delicate herbal tones mingle with sandalwood. Sage, verbena and gentian carry the flavours onwards.
• Finish: The long, complex finish combines fresh tobacco with liquorice. Rustic floral impressions and lilies gradually emerge. Fruity and herbal notes with star anise remain perceptible when breathing out through the nose.

Distillery/Bottler:

The family company's history began in 1960 at the Fiefs Sainte-Anne farm near Gonneville-sur-Honfleur. With the help of travelling distiller Pierre Pivet, Christian Drouin senior had cider from his apple harvest distilled and initially laid the Calvados down to mature. Sales of the accumulated stocks only began in 1979. In 1991 and 1992, the house moved production to another farm dating from the 17th century in Coudray-Rabut, near Pont-l'Évêque.

For its Calvados Pays d'Auge, the house distils cider twice in a traditional pot still. Heads and tails are separated during both runs, with the cut points determined by the characteristics of each cider. The cider's age also matters: ciders distilled later yield more structured spirits suited to longer maturation.

Cask management has been part of Christian Drouin's signature approach from the outset. On Pierre Pivet's advice, the house began using former sherry and port casks early on. Its extensive use of previously used casks limits the uptake of bitter tannins. Maturation is tailored to the desired style of each blend. Guillaume Drouin, who joined the business in 2004 as the third generation, and his father taste the cellar stocks and jointly decide how each parcel will be used.

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