Christian Drouin Millésime 1994/2023 Calvados Pays d'Auge

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

Special Features:

Used Calvados casks and former Banyuls casks shape the maturation of this Christian Drouin vintage. The Pays d'Auge Calvados was distilled twice in 1994 and bottled in 2023. Almost three decades separate these two years; the combination of the two cask types is a distinctive feature of Millésime 1994.

In the glass, it is amber with red highlights. Its character brings together nutty and cocoa notes with red fruit and hints of cherry clafoutis, a French cherry cake. Delicate roasted notes and a subtle smoky element complete the picture. The fruit contrasts with a full, softly rounded structure.

This official bottling contains 0.7 litres at 42% alcohol and comes in a wooden box. It contains no added colouring.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose is dense and rich. Almond, cocoa and ripe red fruit lead the aromas before a subtle smoky note gradually develops.
• Palate: On the palate, the Calvados is full-bodied, balancing power with soft roundness. The fruit recalls cherry clafoutis, while delicate roasted notes complement the flavour.
• Finish: The medium-to-long finish carries lingering red fruit and almond pastry notes. A gentle smoky nuance remains at the end.

Distillery/Bottler:

The house's history began in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior acquired the Fiefs SainteAnne farm near Honfleur. Together with distiller Pierre Pivet, he distilled cider made from his apple harvest and laid down stocks for long maturation. His son joined the business in 1969; sales did not begin until 1979. These early stocks laid the foundations for a specialisation in old Calvados and vintage bottlings. In 1991–1992, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Évêque.

The house uses around thirty apple varieties to make its cider. After washing and crushing, the apple mash rests for several hours before a pneumatic press, operated at gentle pressure, achieves a juice yield of around 65%. During double distillation, the heads and tails are separated on each run; the house adjusts the cut points to the characteristics of the cider.

The cellars mainly hold small oak casks, many of which have already been used. These limit the uptake of bitter tannins. Each vintage follows its own maturation programme. Guillaume Drouin, an agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined as the third generation in 2004 and took over management of the business in 2013. Together with his father, he tastes the contents of every cask each year to decide how they will be used.

Facts: