Amongst Poiré enthusiasts, Eric Bordelet’s interpretations are highly coveted. He also applies his same rigorous attention to orcharding and varietals towards his apple ciders, or Sidres as he likes to call them. Since the day Eric took over the family orchards, he started changing varietals from the ones most commonly used and recommended to the varieties he wanted to fulfill his vision.
With his ideal varieties grafted on new dwarf root-stock and planted into a variety of granite, schist, & a mixed patch of schist and granite, Eric Bordelet set out to show the terroir of the land of his birth through his ciders. Like grapes, apples take in the flavors of their surroundings; the sun, the soil, the wind, the angle of the slopes, and every aspect of their surrounds to give the apples a unique, signature taste. This taste translates into the liquid and into the bottle.
Bordelet’s Sidre Brut Tendre is a semi-dry cider in the middle of his apple lineup.
Appearance: Dark gold.
Aroma: Straw, apples, minerals, caramel, spicy notes, brown sugar, melon.
Taste: Medium tannins, medium acidity, medium astringency.
Overall Impression: Sidre Brut Tendre, like Bordelet’s other products, is balanced and elegant. Those are the hallmarks of a Bordelet cider: Balanced and Elegant. While the fruit is always evident; and in the case of this one, it provides a delightfully “fresh” aspect, the minerally terroir is always present and forms a subtle but powerful backbone to the cider. As with the other Bordelet’s I’ve tried, this one gets my highest recommendation. If you see Eric Bordelet on the label, you buy the bottle.
CO2: Full 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.
4.5% ABV
You can read more of my Eric Bordelet reviews on my page dedicated to the cidery.
