Christian Drouin XO Calvados Pays d'Auge - 5L Dame Jeanne + Pipette

Volume: 5 litres | Alcohol content: 40% | Chill filtration: Yes | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This Calvados is made in the Pays d’Auge from bitter, bittersweet, sweet and acidic cider apples and is distilled twice in copper stills. The spirits mature in small used casks, including former wine, fortified wine and brandy casks. Components matured in former fortified wine and brandy casks give the blend additional sweetness and aromatic complexity.

This edition comes in a Dame Jeanne demijohn containing 5 litres, with a pipette. Its alcohol content is 40%.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The dense, rich bouquet reveals baked apple and Tarte Tatin and develops a subtle rancio character. Almond notes and spices complement the aromas.
• Palate: The palate offers clear, precise flavours dominated by fruit. The Calvados is soft, full-bodied and gentle. The fruit notes give way to vanilla and more pronounced woody notes.
• Finish: The finish brings compote-like fruit notes and spicy accents.

Distillery/Bottler:

Christian Drouin senior acquired the Fiefs Sainte-Anne near Honfleur in 1960 and began distilling his cider into Calvados there with the help of distiller Pierre Pivet. The spirits initially matured in former sherry, port and Calvados casks, supplemented by purchased stocks of old Calvados. His son Christian joined the business in 1969. The company began marketing its products in 1979 and specialised in rare and old Calvados. In 1991/92, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l’Évêque.

Guillaume Drouin, a trained agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined the business in 2004 as the third generation and took over its management in 2013. Calvados Christian Drouin sets a separate maturation programme for each blend and vintage; Christian and Guillaume taste every cask each year and decide how it will be used.

Facts: