Christian Drouin Millésime 1975/2025 Calvados Pays d'Auge

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

Special Features:

This vintage Calvados from Christian Drouin brings together five decades of oak cask maturation and the fruit character of the Pays d'Auge. The spirit was distilled in 1975 and bottled in 2025. In Calvados, Millésime refers to the year of distillation, so this bottling centres on a single vintage rather than a blend of different vintages.

In the glass, the Calvados has a warm, deep amber colour. Its mature fruit character combines with nutty and floral accents, while the soft texture and spicy rancio underline the character of its long maturation. This official bottling contains no colouring and is offered at 42% in a 0.7-litre bottle with a wooden box.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, ripe apples and yellow quinces mingle with delicate almond notes. A subtle floral accent complements the fruity bouquet.
• Palate: The Calvados opens lightly and delicately on the palate. A soft, almost creamy texture gives fullness to the layered fruit, accompanied by a buttery note.
• Finish: Hazelnut notes and spicy rancio linger on the long finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

The house's history began in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior bought the Fiefs SainteAnne farm at Gonneville, near Honfleur. Working with experienced distiller Pierre Pivet, he turned the farm's own cider into Calvados and built up stocks that matured over many years. His son joined the business in 1969; sales did not begin until 1979. This lengthy period of preparation laid the foundations for a specialisation in old vintage Calvados. In the early 1990s, production moved to Coudray-Rabut, near Pont-l'Évêque. Guillaume Drouin, a trained agricultural engineer and oenologist, has represented the third generation in the family business since 2004.

To produce spirits suited to long ageing, the house lets its cider rest for several months before distillation. During double distillation, the heads and tails are separated, with the cut points adjusted to each cider. Maturation is tailored to each vintage. Predominantly small oak casks encourage interaction between spirit, wood and air, while previously used casks limit the extraction of bitter tannins. Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste the cask stocks every year and then decide how they will be used.

Facts: