Cidre With The Soul of Wine: Six French Artisanal Producers, in Normandy and Brittany, Make Intense, Complex, Effervescent and Tranquil Blends and Varietals From Native Apples (A Dozen-Bottle Sampler $199) + Cidre & Food Experience July 16 – RSVP

The grapes used to make wine are often unpleasantly sweet to eat; the apples used to make cidre apples are generally too tart and tannic to eat. The differences may snowball from there, yet the two beverages stroll down the same path toward an identical goal: An adult, fruit-based beverage whose ultimate success is based on the quality of the raw product and the skill of the creator.

In France, ‘cidre’ is the trademarked term for fermented cider from Normandy and Brittany; it is generally effervescent and contains about 3–5 percent alcohol. Sweetness varies; although it is mainly produced dry (Brut), the sweeter style (Doux) has its fans. Due to longer, more complete fermentation, Brut cidre is generally on the higher end of the ABV scale.

Dad joke: “Do the French have a 4th of July? Yes they do; right in between the 3rd and the 5th.”

Low in octane, effervescent, quaffable and refreshing, cidre offers a great alternative to beer for your outdoor summer tipple. Not only that, but because the original colonies were an apple country, too damp for barley, chances are good that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was accompanied by far more cider toasts than beer.

The ten cidres offered in this week’s 4th of July package are from six top-shelf producers. All 750 ml with one noted exception.

Cidre is Cidre

Throughout the world, ‘cider’ (as opposed to cidre) has no standard definition. In the UK, for example, just 35% juice content is required – even less in other countries – all of which can be from concentrate from virtually anywhere. Essentially, the focus of mass market ciders is homogeneity and manufactured consistency and the profit that comes from volume production.

In Normandy and Brittany, the ideology is much different. Using bittersweet and bittersharp apples rich in pectins and tannins and low in acid, cidre tends to be a farmhouse undertaking and the art of production involves a filtering process known as keeving; keeving allows the natural pectin of the apples turn to a jelly-like consistency in cold temperatures over a week, where it rises to the top of the fermentation vessel as the heavy solids filter to the bottom of the tank and the jelly at the top. The remaining juice in the middle of the tank is then slowly fermented at cold temperatures with small quantities of yeast for 3-6 months. The carbonation may be the result of a Champagne-like process or the artificial introduction of carbon dioxide at bottling.

Cidre ‘Terroir’: A Sense of Place

When fifteenth century Cistercian monks in Burgundy first began to document the difference in wine quality from various vineyards, they believed that it was a sign from above; that terroir expressed the variegated contours of God’s creation. Although in the modern era, the science of fermentation and a winemaker’s skill in applying and refined production methods have supplanted a monastic explanation for the differences in wine, the quest for a ‘sense of place’ remains alive and well.

In cider production—especially when compared to wine—terroir has traditionally had a less firm hold on the thought processes. For most of the world, cider is a year-long industrial manufacturing process, while in France, especially in controlled appellations, cidre is typically made seasonally, following the apple harvest. But like wine from grapes, cidre can be redolent not only of the fruit used, but of the locality where it’s grown; the soil, the aspect, the geography and the climate of the orchards.

This is precisely what winemakers call terroir.

L’AOP (appellation d’origine portégée) ensures that the product comes from a specified geographical area and is fermented accordingly to a specific savoir-faire. For cidre, there currently four AOPs: Cornouaille, Cotentin, Pays d’Auge. Du Perche, a region in lower Normandy about ninety minutes from Paris, achieved its own AOP status in October 2020, and impressively, it is also the first fully organic cidre appellation in France.

Normandy

Normandy, which most of us associate with the D-Day invasion of 1944, gets a failing grade in being French: They tend to love Americans. They also love apples, and harvest nearly half a million a year, many (but not all) destined to be transformed into Norman Cidre. Throughout the regions of Calvados, Eure, Manche, Orne and Seine-Maritime, cidre is king, although the menu also includes world-class apple juice, pectin jelly and phenomenal apple-based pastries. In the 9th century, Charlemagne ordered more apple trees to be planted in the region, which is too far north and too sunshine-challenged for grape cultivation.

The Norman apple harvest begins in mid-September, when ripe fruit begins to fall from trees naturally. More than 200 varieties of apples are legally permitted; the most common is the Frequin Rouge, followed by distinctive Michelin and Muscadet de Dieppe.

Marie-Agnès Hérout

Maison Hérout

The Contenin Peninsula, part of the staging area for Operation Overlord (the codename of the Invasion of Normandy) pokes its nose far into the English Channel, and was chosen as a landing site for this very reason. Maison Hérout, known for producing some of the driest and most complex ciderss made anywhere, has seen many such incursions—the Hérout family tree goes back to the Vikings, who settled in this area around the ninth and tenth centuries. In fact, many Cotentin village names still flaunt Norse roots, like the beautiful Briquebec and Quettetot.

The Hérout estate is located near the town of Auvers, where apples thrive in a lush oceanic climate. The Hérout family began producing cidre in the 1940s; today, Marie-Agnès Hérout has taken over the farm and remains true to her heritage by producing some of the finest cidres available from this region. After picking, the apples are grated, macerated, and then pressed with the help of a rack press dating back to 1920, whereupon the juice is left to ferment for four to seven months, often in used Calvados barrels.

Marie-Agnès Hérout, Maison Hérout
© Hérout Cidres & Calvados

Marie-Agnès also continues the family tradition of planting apple trees for future generations and in 2000, began a campaign with the Syndicat de Promotion du Cidre du Cotentin to earn the region’s certification for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée Cotentin status. In May of 2016, after 16 years of hard work and perseverance, the quest succeeded.

Maison Hérout ‘Micro – Cuvée N^o 1’, 2019 AOP Cotentin ($23) – (Effervescent Brut – Cidre Bio 6.5% abv)
A fizzy, bright gold organic cidre aged for three months in Calvados barrels (leading to the slightly higher alcohol content). It shows aromas of fallen lemon and earth with a lightly tannic, vibrant and compelling body that shows brisk dried peach, hay and parchment on the finish.

Maison Hérout ‘Micro – Cuvée N^o 1’, 2020 AOP Cotentin ($23) – (Tranquil – Cidre Bio 5.5% abv)
A still version of the above, made as an experiment that proved to be a widely popular success.

Maison Hérout ‘Micro – Cuvée N^o 4’, 2020 AOP Cotentin ($23) – (Effervescent – Cidre Bio 4% abv)
No. 4 a new cuvée produced entirely from rare acidic apples grown in the Contentinois orchards with no addition of bitter or sweet apples. It is barrel-aged for several months before the ‘prise de mousse’ captures the sparkle. Notes of rich apple must, orange, honey, leather, and earth lead to a tannic, slightly bitter finish.

Maison Hérout ‘Cuvée Tradition’, 2020 AOP Cotentin ($18) – (Effervescent – Cidre Bio 5% abv)
Nicely balanced between sweetness and acidity, the cidre is orange-yellow and delicately effervescent. It shows subtle aromas of butter and dried herbs behind the crisp apple.

Maison Hérout ‘Amour’, IGP Cidre de Normandie ($8) – (Effervescent Brut – Cidre Bio 4.5% abv) – 3 bottles (330 ml)
This is the only non-AOP cidre made by Hérout; it includes fruit that originates just outside the appellation and is exclusively bottled in 330 ml bottles. The juice is aged in a tank and bottled after about four months. Organic and slightly off-dry with the second fermentation occurring in the bottle; the cidre has an appealing low alcohol content. It is redolent of ripe apples in pastry, with hints of orange citrus, forest floor, bitter coffee bean and apricot on the finish.

Cyril Zangs

Cyril Zangs

Jazz-aficionado Cyril Zangs was a book sales rep in Paris before returning to his native Normandy and jumping into the cidre game with both feet. Of the 200 apple varieties approved for cidre making, he uses 69 of them, and in keeping with the natural wine movement, he ferments on native yeasts, unfiltered and without added sulfur.

After apple quality, Zangs says, it is all about process: “Each of our varieties possesses a particular characteristic (sweet, bittersweet, bitter, slightly acidic or sour) and are harvested from high-stem orchards which range from fifteen to sixty years old. We harvest by hand between early October and mid-December, when apples are the ripest. Our manual selection process ensures that only the best apples are picked—we then separate the apples by variety and store them in our barns to continue ripening for up to six weeks.”

Cyril Zangs

What happens next? In his own words: “Once sorted to obtain the best flavor balance, the apples are grated to create a marc. This is put through to our hydraulic press and the juice is transferred to vats, and racked during the 6 months long fermentation process. It is left undisturbed apart from infrequent racking, or ‘soutirages’. The unfiltered cidre is bottled with no sulfites added and stocked horizontally for two to three months to capture the sparkle. The bottles are then stored on A-racks and regularly turned for three weeks; we then disgorge every bottle by hand, a process that naturally removes the sediment. Each bottle is topped up with the same disgorged cider, with nothing else added.”

Cyril Zangs ’14 Glos’, 2019 IGP Cidre de Normandie ($27) – (Effervescent Brut – Cidre Bio 5.5% abv)
From the tiny commune of Glos in Calvados, Cyril Zangs produces this IGP cidre—IGP, for reference, is an EU quality classification that became valid in 2009; it means Indication Géographique Protégée and supplanted Vin de Pays. ‘14 Glos’ shows a creamy and rich texture, and displays notes of star anise, orange peel and unsurprisingly, bittersweet apple.

Guillaume & Thierry Desfrièches

Cidrerie Léon Desfrièches et Fils
‘Le Père Jules’

“In 1923, my father distilled his first Calvados”, says Léon Desfrièches, current head of the Desfrièches clan, and who has (since 1949) carried on the cidre and distilling traditions put in place by ‘Père Jules.’ In 1976, Léon’s eldest son Thierry joined him, followed by Guillaume, Thierry’s son, in 2002. Jules, Léon, Thierry and Guillaume—four generations of Desfrièches.

Léon, Thierry & Guillaume Desfrièches, Cidrerie Léon Desfrièches et Fils

Located in the Norman village of Saint Desir, the flagship cidre is made in honor of the late patriarch Jules. Now 85, Léon says: “I would have really liked my father sees what we have accomplished. As for myself, I hope I am like my Calvados: Serene and not afraid of aging with elegance, grace and roundness.”

Cidrerie Léon Desfrièches et Fils ‘Le Père Jules’, IGP Cidre de Normandie ($16) – (Effervescent Brut – 5% abv)
Very mature apple notes do homage to the Father Jules, showing white flowers and honey. Upfront in the first mouth, it develops an earthy, rich and fruity bouquet with interesting tannins for a long aftertaste.

Brittany

Like Normandy, the apple is emblematic of nearby Brittany; there are over 600 varieties grown and Breton farm cidre is the ultimate local drink. Orchards abound throughout the region, but sites around Dol-de-Bretagne, the Rennes and Vitré valleys, through the length of the Rance valley and the Vannes region are some of the most heralded. Of somewhat lesser importance to the economy, but still vital to the culture are Pommeau de Bretagne AOP and Eau de Vie de Cidre—a vague Breton answer to Calvados.

Like wine, Breton cidre celebrates outstanding vintages, and there are a number of officially sanctioned terroirs: Among them, Cidre de Cornouaille was the first product from Brittany to be granted an Appellation d’Origine Protégée. It comes from an area that covers 38 communities around Quimper that meet certain criteria such as hours of sunshine, rainfall or altitude. Cornouaille is a semi-dry cider made from 100% pure juice and has a golden color, very fine bubbles and a slight hint of bitterness.

Hervé Seznec

Cidrerie Manoir du Kinkiz

Hervé Seznec found his calling at an early age and has dedicated himself to produce world-class cidre. At the age of 19 he replanted his 74 acres of family orchards with 25 varieties of cidre-friendly apples. The core of his passion was the creation of natural cidre; as such, he uses no herbicides and allows indigenous plants and grass to grow between the trees.

Maugane & Hervé Seznec with their son Louis-Maël, Cidrerie Manoir du Kinkiz

“From the ladybugs that rid our orchards of insects,” he says, “to the almost mystical darkness of the cellars where our AOP Cornouaille cidre is aged in huge oak casks, we are making a genuine attempt to return to the hands-on, artisan production methods of our ancestors.”

Cidrerie Manoir du Kinkiz ‘Cidre de Fouesnant’, AOP Cornouaille ($15) – (Effervescent Brut – 5% abv)
Fouesnant is a commune on the south coast of Brittany renowned for its orchards, regarded as the source of some of the very best Breton cidres. Hervé Seznec maintains, “Our Fouesnant cidre is assembled from old apple varieties, all harvested by hand. The apples are then sorted manually, and pressing is done only when the fruit is at its peak ripeness, from late September to December. The fermentation is slow and ends with a second, 2½ month bottle fermentation, giving the cidre its very fine bubbles. This cidre has a lot of personality and is well-defined by its roundness, persistent flavors of freshly cut apple, complemented by notes of butter and hazelnut.”

François Séhédic

Cidre Séhédic

A recipient of the Prix d’Excellence by the French Ministry of Agriculture for the quality of its product, Séhédic cidres are all certified organic. Located in western Brittany, only the traditional apples of the region are used in production. Although they may sound like a cornucopia of the weird and unpronounceable—Dous Moën, Dous Coët, Marie Menard, Kermerlen, Stang Ru, Trojen Hir and Mad Koz—they all contribute to a complex and age-worthy beverage.

François Séhédic, Cidre Séhédic

Cidre Séhédic has three apple orchards across 45 acres; some of the trees are more than 40 years old. All cidre is made without the addition of sugar, water or SO2. The Séhédic family has been producing cidre since 1950, with the second generation Marie Laure Séhédic and her husband Christian Danielou now running the operation.

Cidre Séhédic ‘Fouesnant’, IGP Cidre de Bretagne ($15) – (Effervescent Brut – Cidre Bio 5.5% abv)
Produced from 30 heirloom varieties: Rich aromas of ginger and cinnamon spiced apple-sauce followed by a finely-textured palate; more savory stewed apple with an appealing acid-driven tartness on the finish, and lasting notes of baking spices and stony minerality.

Cédric Le Bloas

Cidrerie du Léguer

Du Léguer is located six hours directly west of Paris; so far that to go any further west, you’d get your feet wet. In this apple-friendly maritime region, Cédric Le Bloas farms 15 acres, raising artisan varieties like Marie Ménard, Jeanne Renard, Peau de Chien and the sharpest apples, Judor, Locart Vert, Rouget de Dol and Petit Jaune.

Cédric Le Bloas, Cidrerie du Léguer
©Le Trégor

According to Cédric, “Each cuvée is made according to my taste, however the same process is followed time and again. The trees are hand harvested three times between October and December, before further ripening, in crates before pressing up to four weeks later. The cidres go through two ferments: the first lasting five months before bottling, followed by a three month fermentation in bottle. The cidres are bottled with no sulfur, just pure juice, naturally sparkling and spontaneous, no collage, only racking and filtering when required.”

Cidrerie du Léguer ‘BrutBrut’, IGP Cidre de Bretagne ($17) – (Effervescent Brut – Cidre Bio 6.8% abv)
Sourced from two different orchards, the cidre is made with an apple blend that is 5% bitter, 50% bitter-sweet, 25% sweet, 20% sharp. As with all of Cédric’s cidres, it is made from apples that have fallen and were allowed to further ripen in wooden crates. Cédric uses the old-school process of “keeving” to clean the musts (thus they are not filtered) and all fermentations are natural. The cidre is woody and vinous, showing aromas of dry apples, mild barnyard notes and earth along with a touch of vanilla.

Notebook ….

The Styles of Cidre

At Elie’s, we confess to being in the neophyte stage of French cidre appreciation, and so in interest of broadening our horizons, we scratched the surface of a subject so vast we’d need a separate newsletter to do it justice.

Still, there is a primer course that can offer a little insight into one aspect of it: Style.

The dream state of most French cidre is rich, lush, amber and full of bittersweet apple character; most are low in acidity but well-balanced between the full-bodied fruitiness and tannin. They range from dry to sweet. ‘Fermier’ is farmhouse cidre made where the apples are grown (similar to ‘mis en bouteille au château’ in Bordeaux) and ‘bouché’ refers to the cork stopper, often caged when the cidre is effervescent.

Cidre can be made still or sparkling, desert-style or fortified, or even co-fermented with hops or other fruit juices. So far, the cidres that have impressed us the most have been made from pure, farm-pressed apple juice and electrified with a natural mousse created in the bottle.

It’s a delightful journey of discovery to the style that best suits your palate, but to take the challenge most authentically, cidre should be sipped from wine glass. Traditionally, country folk could not afford glass, so they used ceramic or crockery. The favored receptacles looked like small bowls known as ‘bolées.’

Cidre & Food Experience …

Normandy Invasion: Cidre Storms Ashore at Coney Island

Join us for a Cidre Tasting at Nicky D’s Coney Island in Royal Oak! On Sunday, July 16, between 5 pm and 7 pm, we will sample premium cidres from Maison Hérout, Cyril Zangs (Normandy) Manoir du Kinkiz, Cidrerie du Léguer (Brittany).

Afterward, stay for dinner with a bottle of Cidre or two to pair with all-American Nicky D’s.

During the tasting, Nicky D’s will be closed to the public. The featured Cidres will be offered for sale to take home or uncork to enjoy with dinner at Nick D’s during the tasting hours. Regular Nicky D’s Coney Island menu will be available to order choice of meal and pay the diner directly for a Cidre & Coney food experience. RSVP is required (Only at 248 398 0030).

Nicky D’s Coney Island in Royal Oak at 32657 North Woodward Avenue.

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Posted on 2023.06.30 in Cidre, France, Wine-Aid Packages