Eric Bordelet‘s ciders are amongst the most coveted French ciders by connoisseurs. Meeting him on my trip to Northern France was truly a highlight of the trip. Fortunately, you don’t have to travel to France to try his ciders. With a little bit of searching, you can probably find someone who sells his products if you live in an area with good cider shops.
Eric Bordelet’s cidres and poirés are based on his desire to show traditional apples in their best light and to highlight the unique terroir of the Bordelet estates. Like grapes, apples translate the climate and soil conditions of the area they were grown in. The same variety of apple grafted from the same stock will produce different tasting apples and juice if the trees are in two different places. This could be as simple of one tree being on one side of the hill and the other being on the opposite.
Bordelet’s Grand Cru cidres, of which this Argelette is one, are from apples and plots of land that he feels express an outstanding sense of place and time. Argelette is made from 19 traditional French varietals macerated (soaking on the skins and pulp to extract extra flavor and color) using an ancestral method. The Argelette refers to the schist dominated soil of the orchards from which these apples are sourced.
Appearance: Amber-Gold.
Aroma: Caramel, earthy, woody, minerally, apple pie, floral, stone fruit.
Taste: Medium- tannins, medium acidity, medium astringency.
Overall Impression: Like all Bordelet products, Argelette is supremely balanced and elegant. Nothing he produces would be considered big and brash. Argelette, while fruity and appley, tastes of the soil and orchard. The lovely mix of mineral and woodiness adds a depth and breadth that is wonderfully enticing and reflective of a place and time.
CO2: Medium sparkle.
Geography: Pays de la Loire
Apples: A blend of many of these varieties – Kermerien, Douce Moène, Fréquin Rouge, Damelot, Marie Ménard, Sang de boeuf, Diot roux, Saint Martin, Clozette, Douce Coet Ligné, Avrolle, Carnette, Tete de brebie, Gros cul, Barberie, Fréquin vert, Locard vert, Bedan, Doux Normandie, Petit doux Vèret, Miclard, Bourdas, Médaille d’or, Javron, Petit Moussette, Groseille, Juliana, Moulin à Vent, Rouge Duret, Binet rouge, Rambault, Mettais
Availability: Imported by various importers throughout the United States. You can look at the list here to find one near you.
5% ABV
You can read more of my Eric Bordelet reviews on my page dedicated to the cidrerie.
Eric Bordelet of Cidrerie Eric Bordelet (Photo from my recent visit to the Cidrerie)
