Christian Drouin Vintage 1974/2021 Calvados Pays d'Auge

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 40%

Special Features:

This vintage in the Les Millésimés range combines its Pays d'Auge origins with maturation in oak casks. The year 1974 indicates when it was distilled; it was bottled in 2021 at 40%. The 0.7-litre bottle comes in a wooden box.

In the glass, the Calvados is amber with copper highlights. Its character combines subtle woody notes with toasted and praline-like aromas, while the palate is full-bodied and powerful. The vintage received the Grand Prix d'Excellence at the Vinalies Nationales in 2014.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, delicate woody notes mingle with toasted aromas and praline.
• Palate: The Calvados is full-bodied and powerful on the palate.
• Finish: Notes of cooked cider emerge on the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

The house's history began in 1960 when Christian Drouin senior acquired the Fiefs Sainte-Anne farm near Gonneville-sur-Honfleur. Working with travelling distiller Pierre Pivet, he distilled the farm's cider into Calvados and built up stocks of matured spirits over two decades. His son Christian later steered the business towards old vintages. In 1991 and 1992, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Évêque.

The house uses double distillation for its Pays d'Auge Calvados. Heads and tails are separated during both distillations, with the cut points determined by the quality of each cider. Its approach also includes storing certain ciders for longer before distillation and tailoring maturation programmes individually. Old Calvados that have already absorbed sufficient tannins can be transferred to larger wooden vessels. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined the family business in 2004 and took over its management in 2013.

Facts: