Distiller Notes
Domaine du Manoir de Montreuil has been run by Patrice Giard's family for twelve generations. The apples are a combination of more traditional and lower-yielding varieties such as Domaine and Beden. The fruit is left to fully ripen and fall to the ground, from which they are selected and harvested. The apples are pressed into cider and left to ferment sur lie in an old tonneau for about a year before distillation. The cider is double distilled then transferred to age in old casks for 18 years.
Aromatically, the calvados is yellow apple forward, laced with subtle warm baking spices. On the palate, the calvados is full of much more tart apples like the skins of green apples, vanilla, and fine smoke.
Calvados is a department (county) in Normandy in northern France that is famous for its Brandies—also called Calvados—which are created by distilling cider made from locally fermented pears and apples. The Calvados orchards and brewers date back as far as the 8th century; distilling came about in the 16th century. Categorized by both age and geography, Calvados production methods differ among the three sub-appellations: AOC Calvados, AOC Domfontais and AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge (highest quality). Generally, the longer a Calvados ages in barrel, the more it resembles Cognac and other fine Brandies in clarity and depth of flavor, approachability and complexity.