Christian Drouin Vintage 1997 Calvados Pays d'Auge

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

Special Features:

Maturation in previously used Calvados casks and former Pommeau casks distinguishes this Christian Drouin vintage. The Calvados Pays d'Auge was distilled twice in 1997 and bottled in 2018. This maturation in two cask types bears the name Double Maturation.

It has an amber colour in the glass. Alongside ripe orchard fruit, its character includes hazelnuts, blossoms and rancio. A note reminiscent of tarte Tatin adds to the aromatic profile. Bottled at 42% alcohol, it is presented in a wooden box containing one 0.7-litre bottle.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, ripe apples and quinces mingle with hazelnuts and floral scents.
• Palate: The Calvados is powerful and full-bodied on the palate. Hazelnuts and white blossoms complement the flavour.
• Finish: Rancio and cider notes come to the fore on the finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

The family firm's history began in 1960, when Christian Drouin senior acquired the Fiefs Sainte-Anne estate near Honfleur. Together with distiller Pierre Pivet, he initially built up stocks of maturing Calvados; sales did not begin until 1979. In the early 1990s, production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut near Pont-l'Evêque. Guillaume Drouin, a trained agricultural engineer and oenologist, joined the company in 2004 and took over its management in 2013.

The house processes around thirty apple varieties from its own traditional standard-tree orchards, supplemented by fruit from other regional growers. The crushed apples rest for several hours in stainless steel tanks before pneumatic pressing. For Calvados Pays d'Auge, Drouin uses double distillation in a still with a capacity of 2500 litres; the cuts separating heads and tails are adjusted to each cider. The cellar contains predominantly small casks. Each vintage follows its own maturation plan, and Christian and Guillaume Drouin taste every cask annually before deciding on its future use.

Facts: