Christian Drouin Vintage 1982/2023 Calvados Pays d'Auge

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

Special Features:

This vintage from the Les Millésimés range matured slowly in oak casks. Known as Simple Maturation, this ageing process involves no additional finishing cask type. The Calvados was distilled in 1982 and bottled in 2023. It comes from the Pays d'Auge in Normandy and is supplied at 42% in a bottle containing 0.7 litres, presented in a wooden box.

In the glass, the Calvados is amber with orange highlights. Its mature style combines apple fruit with nutty and woody impressions. On the palate, the dry rancio character provides a distinct counterpoint to the fruit sweetness.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is powerful, with nuts and acacia wood. Ripe apples, sweet and spicy notes, and subtle woody nuances add to the aromas.
• Palate: On the palate, the Calvados is dry and distinctly marked by rancio. Fruit sweetness and restrained acidity balance one another.
• Finish: The long finish is pleasantly warming and leaves a hint of vanilla and spice.

Distillery/Bottler:

The house's history began in 1960 when Christian Drouin père acquired the orchard-covered Fiefs Sainte-Anne near Gonneville-sur-Honfleur. Together with distiller Pierre Pivet, he built up stocks of aged Calvados over the following twenty years. His son joined the business in 1969, but sales did not begin until 1979. The specialisation in old vintages grew out of these early cask reserves. In 1991–1992, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Evêque.

For its Calvados Pays d'Auge, the house distils the cider twice, adjusting the separation of heads and tails to each batch of cider. Particular attention is given to ciders stored for longer periods, whose distillates are especially suited to extended maturation. The cellars predominantly use small casks, often previously used. Each vintage follows its own maturation programme. Guillaume Drouin, an agronomist and oenologist, has been part of the family business since 2004; he creates the blends together with his father.

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