Christian Drouin Vintage 1971/2021 Calvados AOC

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 42% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Extended oak maturation defines this Christian Drouin vintage. Distilled in 1971, the Calvados spent around five decades in oak casks before bottling in 2021. It belongs to the Les Millésimés range and carries the AOC Calvados designation of origin. Maturation without an additional cask finish preserves its distinctive vintage character.

In the glass, it has a brown amber colour. Wood and spices lead the aromatic profile, with baked apple and bitter cocoa adding further facets. The 0.7-litre bottle contains Calvados at 42% and is presented in an open wooden box.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: Wood and spices, particularly cumin, lead the nose. As it opens up, baked apple and bitter cocoa emerge.
• Palate: The Calvados is very rich on the palate, with a broad, full-bodied character right from the first sip.
• Finish: It becomes more linear towards the finish. Cinnamon and an impression reminiscent of rice powder linger.

Distillery/Bottler:

The house's history began in 1960 at the Fiefs Sainte-Anne estate in Gonneville near Honfleur. With the help of distiller Pierre Pivet, Christian Drouin senior had cider from his orchards distilled, initially concentrating on building stocks for maturation. His son joined the business in 1969; commercial sales did not begin until 1979. This long preparatory period laid the foundations for a specialisation in old Calvados and vintage bottlings.

In 1991 and 1992, the family business moved production to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Évêque. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined in 2004 and took over management in 2013. For maturation, the house mainly uses small oak casks, many of which have already been used. These limit the uptake of bitter tannins. Each vintage follows its own maturation programme; Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste the casks annually before deciding on their further use.

Facts: