Bio Village Cidre Bouche

Image courtesy of www.prixing.fr

Last cidre of the holiday then. I have to admit that I am a bit of a Francophile – much of France looks (on the surface) so much like Britain in appearance. Much more sun mind (although whether that is just my choice of timing or not I cannot tell). However, I have never been to the South before. Boy, is it hot down here!

Once again I have to confess to having failed completely to take a photo of this bottle before chucking it away (well, recycling it anyway). So, once again I am at the mercy of someone else to get a photo at the top of this review! I do think images are important - if you are in a supermarket and have a review open then the image helps reduce the wasted time trying to find the damn thing. See - it's not so I can show off my photography skills (?!?!?!)

Please allow me to indulge in a little story telling by way of introduction to this review. When I first started making alcoholic drinks I opted for wine – bought several vines and waited several years for the fruit to ripen. However, in the UK, you will have several years of unripe grapes to one of decent grapes. Mind you, I learnt how to make wine during this period – strawberry, ginger and plum wine mainly. Until someone I worked with (who had very good sense) suggested that apples were a far more reliable crop in the UK – world beating probably. And the rest is, as they say, history. 

Why do I mention this? Well, I had never seen vines at their best – and there are plenty of them here and judging by the crop on them they are doing very well indeed. Grown much in the same way as modern orchards, they are low and trained along cables with only so much fruit per vine. It is far too hot to grow apples here… they need to slowly ripen to be ready and ripe during the autumn… in this temperature they would be dry and fairly nasty. Don't get me wrong, there are orchards out here - if you can call them that. Trained in much the same way as vines, they have additional protection of a cloche overhead to limit the sunlight. It all looks quite a faff to be honest!

Anyway, on to the cider. I thought it looked a bit ‘supermarket’ but on closer inspection see that it is organic (or ‘bio’) – it is even certified in some way though I am not at all sure what it is or how it stacks up. What I am much more impressed with is the use of an ingredients list, "jus de pomme a cidre fermente, carbon dioxide, So2". Wow, pretty good eh!

 So, it is highly sparkling, golden and bright. There isn't a huge smell to it. OK, it is cold so perhaps not going to give off too much, but when I let it sit a while the aroma is still faint, light and a little appley.

The taste is quite juicy - very juicy in fact. And sweet. It is pleasant but it isn't far off apple juice to be honest. I can find some body but that isn't through the tannin - it isnt that acidic either. I find it balanced. The aftertaste is short to medium and, again, it's juicy.

I like this cider - it is quite refreshing. It is also actually much better than I had expected from - better than the label that represents it!

Unfortunately, this cidre falls just short of an apple at 67/100. However, it is above average and (as with some of the others) if its all you can get hold of in a non cider producing region of France then go for it.

Les Goelleries Cidre Fermier

I guess of the two cidre from this producer I have been looking forward to this one more. It doesn’t bear the PGI, but it does say ‘pur jus’ on the label – so I am hoping for a good rich flavour. Being a farmhouse cider, it should bear the character of the producer too… in all quite a good example (although, having bought the bottle from E Leclerc in Gaillac (not exactly cidre country) I won’t hold my hopes up too far.

There is not a whole lot of small to this cider – sure it is clean (what I am getting) but there is not much apple going on in my nose.

Once again, this cidre tastes quite clean and soul-less. There is very little tannin and the acid is quite washed out again. It’s a shame – French cidre clearly doesn’t bear dilution as much as certain UK ciders. The aftertaste is also quite short and fairly dull.

There isn’t much more to say about this drink. I find it odd that out of two ciders, made by the same producers, one is really quite good and the other is not good at all. My only advice is to try stuff and find the good ones for yourself. Getting hold of cidre outside of the traditional cider making areas of France is certainly hit and miss.



I do find it curious that, although this suggests it is 'pur jus' it doesn't bear the PGI certificate like its sister cidre. Recalling the PGI rules, anything labelled pur jus was not allowed any dilution - so the only logical conclusion would be that this cidre is diluted and therefore not allowed to bear the PGI. After all, why would a producer have a PGI for one product? Why not have it for all products... unless they are disqualified for some reason.

Also, to give this review a little context, think small gite in the south of France, 10.30pm and 31 degrees inside. Also think of dangling legs in a pool  - so its not as though I was writing this in a bad mood - and it is not as if this cidre would put me in a bad mood either!!

A score of 54/100.

Les Goelleries Cidre Bouche Breton

Well, words fail me! For the first time I have failed to have a photograph to put at the top of this review. In actual fact I did have a photograph but managed to delete the frot image (probably the more important one) without downloading it. Oh well... I have pinched one from the website for the supermarket where I bought it - E Leclerg. Hope you don't mind!

Another evening by the barbeque in the south of France and another cidre to try out whilst I am relaxing. I have two cidres from Les Goelleries and this one happened to be in the fridge at the right time. To be fair, writing a few reviews down is a small nugget from home that I have quite enjoyed over the last week or so. I am not exactly the sort of person who can just laze around with nothing to do and the rest of the family haven't felt like exploring too much. So the reviews (I have only really done one a day) have been 20-30 minutes of 'me' time - though the family have sampled and offered opinions:-)

Once again, this cidre bears the PGI – so I can be fairly sure that it is pretty well traditionally made - even if you could in reality drive a coach and horses through the PGI (within reason).

As a Brut it is around the 5% mark and, as expected it is the usual golden colour with a moderate to high sparkle. I am getting the rich fruity smell this cider – it does smell a little sweet and I am sure it is a bit light and sharp too.

To taste it is really quite nice. A sharpness compliments the juice and, as with other Breton cidre the tannins are soft and understated.  It has a juicy body to it that lasts well into the aftertaste – although the aftertaste itself is not that long.

Working my way through the bottle, I have to say that there is nothing to say that is either exceptional or poor about this cider. It is a typical Breton cidre with all the elements that make it good but not outstanding. I suppose it is rather gassy, but perhaps that is just trying to find something to say.

I do like this – and I think it deserves an apple (I say that without knowing the score yet). Not a great apple, but it is very competent and good that it is available freely.

The score is 73/100, so a bronze apple for Les Goelliers - deserved and one to find (if you cannot find anything direct from a producer!)

Heritage Velderance du Cidre, Cidre de Bretagne (Les Celliers Associes)

Apologies that I have so far failed to get in any unique or special cidre from France yet this year. To be honest, it is going to be fairly unlikely unless I can pick something up from northern France on the journey home. However, this isn’t a review blog only for those places where special cider is found!

This cidre, made in the ‘bouche’ style is actually made by Les Celliers Associes, a cidre cooperative found in Brittany. In operation since 1953, this cooperative is formed of some 300 growers and uses some 10 to 15 thousand tons of apples... so quite big then!! This bottle has the PGI stamp on it too. I happen to know a little about PGI, so can go away and check the ‘Cidre de Bretagne’ PGI to find out to what standard it has been produced.

The PGI for Breton cider is interesting - if a little open (a bit like the three counties PGI to be honest). Dilution can occur (although it requires the water be added to the pomace 'to extract extra sugar'). Up to 40% of the content of the cider may be concentrate, although if a cider is labelled as 'pur jus' with the PGI, it has to be just that - no water allowed. Filtering and sweetening are allowed. It doesn't give any total juice content requirement though; and often these things are about what isn't said as opposed to what is - you only have to look beyond your nose in the cider industry to realise that this is exactly how the larger companies have exploited lower juice content.

And so, I am sat here, at 8pm in a temperature of 30 degrees ‘C’. The sunburn is calming down a little and I am ready for this cidre. The bottle comes straight out of the fridge (in these temeperatures it is the only way to drink it!) It is presented in the standard French format (gold/sparkling/bright) and pours out with a flourish. There is some tannin to the smell which is lovely and this is backed up by a sweet fruity smell that just leaps out of the bubbles at you.

There is quite a long and complex taste to this cidre. It is more cidery than the other cidre recently. The tannin is very soft and doesn’t win against the acid and sweetness. There is a long aftertaste which is simply more fruit – I am not sure what apples are typical of Brittany but they deliver a low, soft tannin that provides character and a touch of body, whilst the acid is much more pronounced (yet not sour at all).

This is a surprisingly good cidre found in a national supermarket. A good example of the style!

A score of 76/100 sees a bronze apple (and it is the best cidre this year so far!)

Auchan Cidre Bouche de Bretagne

 

Sometimes pictures just don’t tell you the story well enough. By taking images of the front and back of the bottles there is as much information as someone needs who is seeking to try a cider for themselves… after all, what’s the point of ranting about a cider without showing what it looks like… On this occasion, however, I thought it might be nice to show you the ‘other’ picture by way of context...

Yes, I am trying to make you jealous and showing off (a bit). But just in case this turns out to be a terrible cidre with a great review, its probably helpful to provide a suitable excuse beforehand!

This cidre, Auchan’s ‘own brand’ cidre, is perhaps not the most auspicious of cidre to present at a sunny barbeque. However, I was boyed by the Loic Raison review so am going to keep an open mind. Sadly, I have no idea who actually produced this cidre for Auchan (so if anyone else kmows any more, then do tell)

And to the review. It is (guess what) golden, highly sparkling and bright. A standard French cidre then… I must find an abbreviation to sum this up quicker as it gets a bit dull to read that something is bright, golden and highly sparkling each and every time!

The smell is very clean. Too clean if you see what I mean. Sterilised almost. Faintly fruity and vinious. It smells more like an apple wine to be honest (although at 4.5% it’s a fair bit short on the alcohol!) I am struggling to find anything particularly interesting to say about the smell – it’s a bit of a ‘ghost’ cidre so far.

The taste is very clean and, well, fairly tasteless to be fair. There is some apple to it, but it is just watery apple drink rather than anything remotely complex or remarkable. Just a bit too dumbed down (is it a standard aspect of cider found from supermarkets that the buyers require something that is a bit like cider but not really). Mind you, it is more refreshing that Carling for the simple fact it is cold (perhaps the Carling marketeers should have looked at temperature when they were doing their ‘refreshment survey’).

Staying with this cider, there is a hint of Bretagne cidre about it. I suspect the base cidre from which this was diluted was pretty good. Unfortunately for this cidre, they rationed it out far too much and killed it.

The aftertaste was short although, considering what I have said above, was quite nice.

If this is all you can get (and even in Southern France it isn’t) then I guess it is either this or wine. It is cheap and pretty freely available. However, if you are wanting an experience of cidre then this isn’t going to satisfy. A score of 57/100

Loic Raison Traditionnel Breton Cidre

Paris departed and now sat in glorious sunshine somewhere between Gaillac and Toulouse. Well, that was earlier and am now sat inside and ready for another cidre.

This plastic bottled cidre is probably a step away from the usual high quality cidre. I don’t normally ‘do’ cider in plastic bottles but I have never come across a cloudy ‘traditional’ cidre within France. The vast majority are bottle conditioned or cidre bouche, method traditionnel etc. and therefore clear to bright with little sediment. The question about this one is how close to our scrumpy does it get? Is it still and cloudy or is there some Co2 life to it?

The other thing that I notice is that this is a 1.5 litre bottle… made for sharing then. It says on the bottle that it is ‘naturallement trouble’. OK, this made me giggle a little but, while my first instinct was that it meant 'naturally fizzy' using my English expectation of the word 'trouble' it actually means naturally 'cloudy'. And I can confirm that it is that. Whether it is natural or not - well, lets not get all Westons Old Rosie on it yet shall we!


Lets see how I get on with it. Well, it is sparkling though not highly so and smells juicy, sweet and fruity. It is quite a lot fainter than the Le Brun but not a bad smell in all. It is rather cloudy and looking at it I do wonder whether this is deliberately been done or whether it is the result of a natural process (i.e. is the cloud manufactured by industrial process so that it hangs about?). My own is cloudy whilst fermenting, but soon drops clear once fermentation is complete. If that process happens in a bottle, there is sediment at the bottom – it doesn’t stay in solution.

It has a very juicy taste to it – fresh apples but very little body over and above this. It comes across as quite watery, although actually it is very refreshing – it is chilled which helps a bit. It isn’t especially sweet, which is I think where the traditional bit comes in. The French are not renowned for dry ciders and this is a nice change. I do have to say that it doesn’t compete with half the UK dry ciders though:-)

The fizz dies down fairly quickly in this cidre, and once settled I do get some tannin and a bit more acid from it. That is good as it isn’t just relying on it’s juiciness to give it character. The aftertaste is fairly long and pleasant.

As a session cider, this is rally rather nice and I would recommend it to anyone in a non cider producing region of France. Incidentally, try having a chat with a Frenchman in a wine region of France and mention that you are a cider maker… the facial expression is priceless!

A good score for this one – perhaps better than it ought, but that was what it got. 73/100 and a bronze apple.

Cidre Le Brun, Cidre Artisanal 'Bigouden'

And that, for the Great British Beer Festival, is that! Phew, it was a session by any standards although I was very glad to have many hours to do the reviews. And as a result, we are now in October... some months away from the festival itself! I hope that it does act as an advert for GBBF though. I know I have issues with CAMRA and their lack of interest in cider, but the more people want cider the more they have to stock!

Going backwards a touch now (my trip to France was a bit obscured by the GBBF reviews). I have some more French cidre to interest (or bore) you with:

There is going to be a bit of a problem in reviewing cidre this year – I am in France again, but the location – Toulouse and Gaillac (Mid-Pyrenees) – are not known as cidre producing areas. And in France that can be a problem; if you live in a wine making area the number of cider makers is going to be pretty negligible (if there are any at all)… certainly commercially. To the French, this is a way of protecting a region’s speciality and tradition. To me, I prefer the UK way of doing things although would rather that we could do more to differentiate the ‘pur jus’ ciders away from the ‘non jus’ ciders.

To reacquaint myself with the French tradition of cider, I opted to try a cidre from a name that I know and respect. Le Brun seem to have exploded across the French cidre scene (if French cidre can explode!!) and a couple of days near Paris meant that I had a chance to visit Auchan. I confess to being a bit surprised to see it. As a note, I also found this cidre in Gaillac (at L’Eclercs – which I think are associated with Auchan). I have seen only too well what happens when a product ‘goes national’… recent nationalised ciders in the UK seem to have chosen quantity over quality (I intend on retrying the Orchard Pig range soon as I fear that the score may well have dropped).

Anyway, lets see what ‘Bigouden’ has to say for itself. Not surprisingly, Bigouden is a small region within the larger Brittany area of France. There is not that much to say beyond that, although check out the traditional head gear for the ladies - clearly designed to prevent them from going though doors etc.

This cidre is presented in the traditional way in a 750ml bottle with a caged cork.  It is golden and highly sparkling. Actually, it is rather too highly sparkling as I failed to chill the bottle before opening it (and nearly killed a member one of my travel partners in the process!).

I can smell the cidre pretty freely – a part of having a highly sparkling drink. It is fruity in the nose, there is a bit of sulphite in the smell too. It seems to be quite juicy – though it is a brut (the French equivalent of a dry).

The taste is mild and juicy. There is not a heap of tannin to it; though it does seem to be full bodied in the mouth. There is some acid going on in here too. I have to say, in all it is a fairly average cider – it isn’t setting me alight in any case… not like the last Le Brun I tried. I am getting lots of flavours from the drink though – aside from the very pronounced orchard fruit, there is the taste of peach and raspberry which makes this drink feel rather summery (so it isn’t all bad!)

I have to say that this cidre could have benefitted from being a bit colder. Temperature is a subject that deserves it’s own ‘Cider101’ – and may be soon. Cider is a sensitive drink and environment, temperature and even weather can influence perception.

There is a moderate length of aftertaste, which is pleasant.

Overall, I did enjoy this cidre. It wasn’t quite what I expected from Le Brun, but it was a reawakening to French cider. And for that it didn’t disappoint. I would be interested in hearing from any French cidre drinkers to see how they see the quality of Le Brun and whether it has dropped: not that I would be surprised to learn that it has a bit… how many British ciders could you point at and say that it is worse than it used to be as it grows in popularity? It’s a hard thing to get right (especially when profits are all important!)

A bronze apple with a score of 74/100

Sainsbury's Sparkling French Cider

 
Sorry - some of these names are just far too long to write into the title! It is (properly) called; Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Sparkling French Cider. Its an interesting one for me as I do like French style cider and this one is produced in France for Tesco's... which I think is rather neat. Mind, if it's their best range then I think one should expect them to pay a bit more attention to provenance etc.

So, another own brand cider. French style barring the beer bottle sized delivery (normally, French cidre comes under cork and wire). And there are some curious and possibly encouraging bits of information on the label. Although there are no ingredients listed, it does say 'made from 100% pure apple juice". Sadly, as a result of a certain Irish pear cider claim that 100% pear juice means that of the pear juice in the drink, its 100% pear juice (NOT that it is 100% juice in total) I am a bit cynical about this kind of statement. In fact, I think that it has been devalued to the extent that we must probably avoid using it - damn your eyes marketing types! Saying something has 100% of anything doesn't mean that it has 100% TOTAL of anything!

Aside from that, this cider was produced by a real, live French producer for Sainsburys. OK, not exactly earth shattering news - though I guess the fact it wasn't made by Westons or Thatchers is something! Les Celliers is a producer based in Brittany... well, only just in Brittany (just south of St Malo), but nevertheless well in French cider country. They are actually a rather large cooperative - cider is only a part of their 'agro' business (cheese, milk, veg, water etc.). Saying that, they produce over 10 million bottles per year! So, perhaps not quite the artisanal cider producer - but certainly as much as the UK 'own' producers.

On opening, this cider is foamy and fizzy. Exactly what you would expect. It is also very shiny and bright - and a brown/golden colour which actually looks very impressive. Its smell is very fruity - the cider is only 4%, so it will have been made in the normal French way by being halted at 4%. This leaves a lot of juice in the cider and as well as sweetening the drink also makes it quite juicy/fruity.

Having let the bubbles settle down a bit, I try it and. Wow. It is really nice. It is deep, quite heavy on the tannins and the fruitiness is all there. Sure, it could come across as a little syruppy - although this is probably just the juice - it isn't a safe cider though. I noted the label mentioned a 'crisp drink'. Not for me it isn't. In fact the acid is understated; giving the bitter fruit all the attention... and it is really good for it.

If I have any grumble about this, it is that it has been pasteurised too much, and filtered bright (but mostly its pasteurisation). There is a slight caramel flavour going on in the background. It isn't off putting but is noticeable.

There is a satisfyingly long aftertaste to the cider too. Actually quite drying, although the drink itself is fairly medium dry in character.

I like this cider. Its well made and presented and will give the drinker a good flavour of the French method of cider making. Sure, I have some reservations about its full juice credentials, and it has been filtered and pasteurised (which is probably more because Sainsbury's demands it rather than the producer doing it anyway... but then, what do supermarkets really understand about cider?!) If I could get them to really grapple with the idea that cider doesn't need to be pasteurised in a bottle - that they are just being far too safety conscious and prescriptive - then I would have achieved a great deal for the cider industry!!

A silver (yes, SILVER) apple for Sainsbury's Sparkling French Cider with 86/100. Very good indeed!

Le Brun Cidre Fermier (Demi Sec)

OK, I have a wee bit of a confession to make about this cidre (which, by the way is the last of the French cidre for now). I didn't buy it. I was given it. It was bought from the cider producer directly too - which I suspect is going to come through in the review. Not only that, but the people who bought it for me had done some 'research' beforehand and had good things to say.

I guess this will serve as a comparison to the cidre that I have tried here recently. The question is this - if you are visiting a non cidre producing region of France do you make a stop in Northern France to stock up (assuming you must have good cidre) or is it OK to wait until you have arrived and then hope that some of the good stuff has made its way to wherever you are? Going by the reviews so far, I would answer this by saying by all means wait, but be careful with your selection. I shall see whether this cidre changes my mind...

On the nose this is a Normandy cidre. It smells similar to the others. I would actually say it smells less than the others too - despite it having a good level of carbonation. What I do notice though is that its not crystal clear in the glass. High carbonation, golden and lovely, but ever not quite bright. I did notice a little sediment at the bottom of the bottle before opening and this must have been kicked up at the opening fizz. A good sign that it hasn't 'just' been filtered and engineered to a Normandy style.

I have to say, I refuse to compare this to much of what I tried last week! The level of tannin is up slightly and there is sooo much more body to this - its really an excellent cidre. Sure, its on the sweet side and the juicy-ness comes through rather a lot - but this is un-fermented juice, not added post fermentation. Why am I sure of this? Well, I guess I cannot be 100% but everything about this cidre seems genuinely cidre fermier.

In terms of balance, this has plenty of character. The tannin is harsher than normal (though its by no means too drying) and the acid is good and pulls the tannin and fruit together.

It is worth making the point that not all Normandy cidre is equal! I have berated the French for locking producers in a given region down to style and even varieties. However, this stuff simply proves that it can be done at a very high quality. It is truly a delight to drink!

The aftertaste is somewhat short, though there is a nice fading tannin and good acid going on still. Trouble is, I then have to have another gulp (drinking good cider really is such a bind:-)

A lovely way to finish the latest crop of French cidre and a silver apple for Le Brun with 82 points. I think cider producing ought to become an Olympic sport:-)

Les Trois Freres Jan Cidre Fermier Breton

As with all the other cidre being reviewed here at the moment, this one came from way outside of its home region. In some ways this is a good thing: as with the UK there must be brands that are national, and some that are supplied around France. In the same way as in the UK, however, these brands are proving to be stabilised, safe products on the whole. The bottle I now have before me doesn't even have a little round sticker, which I am not entirely sure means anything other than it doesn't have a sticker. Mind you, it has been selected for 'La Selection Fouconnerie'. My guess is that this is similar to the 'Itineraire' cidre I tried earlier in the week.

Looking into the bottle, I can see a very small trace of yeast at the bottom. Often the way of producing this kind of cidre is to restart a small fermentation using champagne yeast, which is finer and easier to disgorge than natural cider yeast. However, what happens during that process is a bit of a mystery to me. I suspect filtering and pasteurisation may be involved - although what is the point of pasteurising if you are just going to restart a fermentation? Most French cidre is never allowed beyond 4.5-5%, which means that there is still plenty of sugar left in the bottle. This is often why cidre tastes sweet. It is naturally so. And if you are into really sweet cider then go for a 'doux' version. These will usually be 2-3% at most and retain a sweet juicy taste. Not my thing, but then.

After a little digging around it turns out that this is a cidre produced by Château de Lézergué, from Ergué-Gabéric - well into Breton. The website is worth a look if you are planning to visit the region as it seems as though they have quite a selection: http://www.chateau-lezergue.com/

OK, on with the tasting. Right from the opening you can tell this is slightly different. It is certainly different from the Normandy cidre (and, to be honest, from the other supermarket Breton cidre too:-) It has a more rugged smell to it - more tannic and harsher (I know what I mean and its not a bad thing!).

The tannin and body do play a much bigger role in this cidre - it is less like fresh apple juice and more west country in style (albeit with a big fizz). The tannin is still pretty mild and not drying. There is little acidity to speak of, although it suits this cidre pretty well. Certainly it is less refined than its Norman counterparts... this makes a refreshing change to be honest.

The aftertaste is moderate to long and is mainly fruit.

One other thing to say, in terms of the 'roughness' - I think it is slightly astringent too. This is a feature of Spanish sidra but I wasn't expecting it with a French cidre. Maybe I am misreading it though (and is not at all unpleasant).

In all, a well deserved bronze apple with a score of 77. Things are looking up:-)

Itineraire des Saveurs Cidre de Cournouaille

"There are some fantastic French cidres and some really bad ones too." Before I visited France to try cidre for the first time, I remember a good cider making friend offering me that advice. It was kind of backed up in CAMRA's excellent book, 'Cider' too. "Avoid the supermarket cidre and stick with stuff that is 'Appellation Controllee'" - or so I was told.

Well, this cidre comes from a supermarket - Intermarche to be precise. Near Coulommiers, not far from Paris. Look at the label - it certainly has own brandness about it and its as near to Bretagne as Bristol is to Newcastle:-) Well, if its all I can get hold of, then its worth reviewing as it may be all you can get... and that is justification enough (well, I guess I don't really need an excuse to try something new:-)

Itineraire des Saveurs is a label that comes up on all sorts of produce within an Intermarche; from cidre and cheese to cured meats and vegetables. This cidre was actually made by Ciderie Bigoud - I guess in much the same way as Westons produces many of the own brand ciders in the UK. So, lets give it a go and see how own brands stack up. For the purposes of this review, I have left the own brand name as the title simply because that is the most likely form it will b found as.

Its a moderately fizzy cidre, filtered clear with a nice head on it. Being from Bretagne, it ought not taste like Normandy cidre, and sure enough the aroma is much deeper - more tannic and less fruity.

I have to say the taste is very interesting. Its still light and a touch fruity in a fermented apple kind of way, but I reckon this is because it has been allowed to come closer to finishing its fermentation - therefore less juice and more alcohol. The tannins are restrained though (it has been halted at 5.5%, so its still not UK style). However, it is refreshingly light and not a bit horrible.

I will say that it is safe. It hasn't been allowed to develop a character - or its been a touch engineered to meet the supermarkets design. This is something gleaned from a communication from Weston's on this blog previously - and if it is done in the UK, then I have no doubt it's done in France too.

On the whole, this is not a disappointing cidre at all. OK, its not the best but its certainly not 'bad'. Only on the mild aftertaste, which is fairly short, that you get the 'engineering' failures of so many supermarket ciders - the tannin fizzles out almost instantly and you are left with a little fruit and watery taste.

A score of 65/100 is very respectable and, whilst I agree the best place to buy cidre is either from the farm itself or locally (at a deli, for example) if you are stuck, then this is an OK cidre to have on your table at dinner time:-)

Michel Breavoine Cidre Fermier de Normandie (Brut)

I am struggling to remember where I bought this cidre from. Sure it was near to Paris and almost certainly from a supermarket. I am not sure which one though (and my notes at the point of tasting fail to record it). Ah well, its a cidre made in Pont L'Eveque, Normandy - more famously known its cheese, but hopefully also for great cidre.

The French producers like little labels; appellation controllee, medaille d'or etc. etc. - this one is 'veritable cidre fermier'... I guess it's verified farmhouse cidre then... Its also 'pur jus'. Now that is a sign I like to see:-)

OK, bearing in mind that this blog is in English, I will not presume that anyone from France is bothering to read it... so reviewing cidre is more aimed at those visiting France. With that in mind, I have tracked down the producers website - http://www.breavoine.fr/. As with most producers in France, its not available in English (but then, pretty much all cider producers in the UK don't bother with anything but English, so it ought not be surprising!). Looking at this, if you are around Pont L'Eveque, I would recommend a visit to them: the produce Calvados, Pommeau and Poire as well as Cidre. I suspect you will have more of a memorable experience than simply pulling off the shelf in a supermarket!

On pouring, I noticed that there is a chunk of yeast thrown up by the high fizz, so its naturally made and conditioned in bottle. Good start. It is also golden and clear. It builds a nice head in the glass too - lots of small bubbles!

Once again, it has that Normandy fruity smell that is soft and juicy. Very similar to the other Normandy cidre I have just tried. However, in the taste the tannins are more pronounced that the others so far which gives this much more body and charisma. Its a bit of a shame that overall it has a very gentle and subtle taste... not weak particularly but a touch safe. That might be a little unfair, but once again I do come back to the restrictions that are placed on cidre producing regions. Normandy cidres seem to be fairly consistent in their profile - much more so than in the UK.

On the acid side of things, its light but fruity and gentle. It seems to be overshadowed a little by the tannin, although its pleasant for it.

The aftertaste is pretty long and fruity (and, surprisingly, still fizzy!)

Overall, this is a good cider with some nice characteristics about it. OK, perhaps I am a bit critical and would like to see something that makes it a bit more individual. But this went down just fine and I would be happy to have another bottle. A bronze apple from cidrepages to go with a score of 72/100.

Ecusson Cidre Brut

I guess I couldn't be out of the cidre producing area and not come across another Ecusson cidre eh... Ecusson are one of the larger producers in France - founded in 1919, they are based in Normandy and I would say are probably a similar size to Westons (although I am by no means sure and my French is only so-so.)

And so I have another Ecusson cidre to try. This time its the Brut Cidre. It is a well presented cidre which seems to be available readily (this was another Auchan purchase). It describes itself as having 'character and fruit' and as having 20 varieties of Normandy cider apple. And on the back label; "A servir bien frais" - well chilled. At least its not over ice anyway!

When poured it is a bright golden cidre with a high fizz. I guess even the French aren't immune from a few industrial processes. Still, its a matter of scale I suppose. Anyway, it has a nice fruity smell to it - sweet too and not a sign of any syrup.

On tasting, it is as you would expect. Highly honed and a fair bit prescribed. Quite sweet too. It does have that Normandy character though. Fruity and a bit of tannin - although its weak - watery I guess. The tannin is noticeable but drowned in fruit - which is good. Normandy cidre is very fruity - probably due to it being halted at 4.5 - 5% abv. The thing that let this one down a bit is that it is watery and this just makes things a little short - short on tannin and on acid. The aftertaste withers fairly quickly too. The character is good, the taste isn't bad but its all just a little bit like any number of standard cidre and a touch on the watery side.

One thing I would say about Normandy cider fruit - its not by any means harsh or full - say as Tremletts Bitter would be regarded as a harsh bitter-sweet or Broxwood Foxwhelp a full bitter-sharp. I can only observe this based on the limited number of Normandy cidre I have tried, although it is a common theme in my notes.

Anyway, this cider scored 62/100 - not a bad score but I feel accurate considering there are more interesting and individual cidre to be found in France.

Fernand et Freres Cidre Artisanal (Brut)

A recent trip to France presented the chance to bring in a few bottled of cidre - though I would suggest that being just outside of Paris is not the mecca of great cidre ... maybe I just looked in the wrong places!

This bottle, made by Fernand et Freres hails from La Lacelle - a quick search on Google maps shows them as either way outside of the traditional cidre region or else Bois La Lacelle, which is found in lower Normandy. I would suggest its the latter (though there really isn't any reason why, just as in the UK). Their website (which doesn't layer properly on my laptop) suggests quite a large production facility - they use a huge belt press and some serious bottling equipment.

The cidre is presented in a fairly standard bottle for the French style, 75cl with a cage cork. I chose it because it says it has won a 'Medaille d'Or' in Paris (2011). I don't know enough about this competition to comment too far, although there are competitions and there are competitions. Some are open to all and some price out all but the largest.

So, where did I find this cidre? At an Auchan hypermarket in Val d'Europe. There isn't much to compare it to in the UK, although I would say take a farmers market and place it in the largest Tesco Extra and its probably still only two thirds of the size! (fantastic selection of everything bar cidre!)

OK, rambled enough. Lets try this cidre. Surprisingly, this one isn't highly fizzy - well, not quite. It is a persistent bubble though. The aroma it kicks up though is full of fruit and quite sweet. Its also brightly filtered and quite golden. It's this freshness that I remember of French cidre last year and is so appealing.

The taste is a little disappointing though - its really quite a safe cidre. Sure, there is plenty of fruit - its almost a single variety in character. Its also quite a tart cidre with a very mild tannin which is almost lost through the sweetness. Finally, there is a bit of syrup going on - not sufficient to mark it as anything but smooth, but it is noticeable.

Now, I wasn't drinking this cidre on my own. The others classified this cidre as being 'Magnersy' - a little bit tight, though there are definitely Magners elements to it. It says that it is made from 100% cider apples though, and even if its not full juice (just 'cos there is 100% cider fruit in it, doesn't make it 100% juice... and I am afraid I am on the skeptical side of that).

The aftertaste is light and mostly fruit, although the syrup does become more pronounced at the end.

This cidre just misses the apples for me with a score of 67/100. Not that its a bad cidre - in fact as a supermarket cidre its really not a bad score.

Chateau du Breuil Calvados (20 years old)

And now for something completely different... and completely special too.

Sometimes I get the urge to be insanely sad. I am convinced I am not a slave to cider, but at certain points its not only me that questions this! I was invited to dinner at a relatives. They had been to France and were, in fact, the ones who gave me the bottle of Chateau du Breuil cider reviewed not so long ago on here. So I knew about this bottle (they had made the mistake of bragging about it to me or some such). So I managed to persuade them to get it out:-)

Why is it special? Well, to start with it is bloody expensive. A 20 year old Calvados is going to be, isn't it! Also, on top of that its not exactly the largest bottle ever made. So its either going to be amazing or else a total dog. Going by their cider, which was very nice, I am sure its more towards the first.

So, what is the first thing I notice about the bottle. Its an IWSC winner - a silver medal displayed proudly across the neck of the bottle. "So what?" - well, in case you haven't read the 'scoring system' page of this blog, I pinched part of the scoring system from IWSC (International Wine and Spirits Competition). Although these reviews are not competitive, blind judged or anything like that, I love the idea of ranking as Gold, Silver and Bronze. It means that I can have as many favourite ciders as I like without having a scoring system that restricts this. There are many different profiles of cider out there and no single one deserves to be more top of the pile than another - plus its all a bit of fun in any case. I doubt many take my scoring or awards that seriously. Well, I hope they don't.

Oddly, I used to work alongside the IWSC a few years back and got to see how scrupulous and absolutely dedicated to transparancy they were. Its quite impressive, although I believe quite expensive to enter. I think that is one of the reasons I naturally thought of them when setting up Cider Pages.

And so, on to this Calvados. As you can see from the picture, it is brown and clear. What you won't be able to tell is that it smells incredibly smooth - gently alcoholic (when in fact it is very alcoholic) and, a great surprise to me, you can still smell a bit of cider in it.

This calvados is velvety smooth. There is no bitterness or grabbing bite as with younger Calvados - its is really very luxurious to the taste. And the fact that the cider has survived as a part of the flavour for 20 years in the barrel either means it was a stonking cider to start with or else it has been treated really very gently indeed. I can even get whiffs of tannin out of it (which should really be long gone). This isn't a Calvados for pancakes - this is a Calvados to be appreciated on its own, probably in an orchard at sunset I expect:-)

There is a lingering note to this Cavados that doesn't let you go for ages. For me, it was washed away a bit at the end by a cup of coffee. I guess that is its purpose - an aperitif or apres dejeuner drink which is taken little by little in the company of friends and family. OK, waxing a little too lyrical about it here, but if you have a few quid to spare and you are in search of what surely must be the benchmark in Calvados (or even, dare I say it, Cider Brandy) then this is definitely worth it.

On relfection, this is a useful review to work with other of Mr Temperley's Cider Brandy's. I am by no means an expert, but I suspect that I will be drawing comparisons when I get to the older versions of the British equivalent of this. I should also say that I will be more discerning about Calvados in future - I really didn't think they could be this smooth!

A score of 95/100 is an assured Gold apple from Cider Pages... though I suspect that even if they did find this review they will be sticking to their IWSC Silver medal:-)

Chateau du Brueil Cidre Pays d'Auge

Aha. A French cidre out of the bleu. Well, I have been saving this one up for a special occasion. And, as I cannot find a special occasion, I have decided that I have waited to try it for long enough (in fact, I am going back to France myself soon, so having a gift of French cidre sat around is not necessarily a good thing).

We are lucky in the UK. We have access to so much wide and varied cider. Without doubt the best producers in the world are no more than a drive or ferry journey away. Now, I would argue that the best cider producers are British. I am sure that is open for debate. More are starting to play around with French methods of production, so right now there is so much choice in the UK its something we should be very proud of.

There are some pretty good French cidres too. And no, I do not count in that the one served in a 'Chalice' - Stella Artois are Belgian, not French... and that is just for starters!!

This cider is nicely golden, frothy and smells of cider fruit - a great start to a typically French cidre. At 4.5% its about right, and I am expecting it to be naturally sweet too.

What hits you first (apart from the bubbles!) is a mellow, nutty flavour going on within. Sure, there are stacks of fruit in this drink - cidery and sweet - but its also matured really well (it has been sat on top of my fridge for several months so that has probably helped! - and ageing of cider once purchased is well worthy of further discussion at some point).

This is a French cidre with a west country accent to it. The tannins are full yet also mellowed. There is fairly limited acid though, which is countered by the drinks sweetness. Its not a bonkers sweetness though; its well controlled and doesn't compete with the body coming from the cider fruit.

Nice and smooth. As is the aftertaste. Its got tannins to it as well. Its a little on the short side, and as with most French cidre it does feel a little watery once you are into the aftertaste. Don't get me wrong though - this is a fab cidre.

If you can find it (they do have a website - albeit in French:-), this cidre is well recommended. A good silver apple with a score of 80 points.

La Fauconnerie Cidre de Bretagne

And now on to the last of the French cidres that I bought home with me a few months ago. Have I saved the best till last??? In all honesty, I am not sure - I was lucky enough to try some really nice cidre from Normandy. However, lets have a try on this one to see how Bretagne compares.

Looking at my CAMRA 'Cide' book, it says that cidre from Brittany is possibly dryer than its Norman counterparts, although the climate is slightly hotter too - so should I expect a dry, strong cidre?? Yum!. Finding it in a Supermarche in Normandy is not exactly visiting the farm though... ah, so what.

Well, opening the bottle gives the usual 'pop' expected from a cider made in the typically French style - whether it be Bouche or Champenoise its all fizzy (but you would expect that to be naturally so). However, this one had a big, big fizz... and I had chilled it first (well, it has been hot here recently!!)

What about the taste. Well, it would seem I both got what I paid for and also what I deserved in trying to stretch my taste buds as far as Brittany without actually doing the mileage. Let me take that back a step. I feel that this cidre tastes a little too played with. Its Okay, don't get me wrong (the properly engineering gloop that you can get in France is definitely poor) but its just, well, tame and odd. Whenever I slate something, I always try to back it up with 'its only my opinion'... and that is true of this.

So, starting from the beginning. There is very little aroma to it - lots of bubbles, but little aroma. And then the taste is like apples that I would never put into a cider; red delicious sprang to mind immediately. Definitely something ubiquitously red or green with a crunch, and not that interesting.

There is some acid in here, and its a lot less tannic than other French cidre. But its not thin... nor is it syruppy. Its just okay.

Like the aroma, the aftertaste is notable by its (mostly) absence. The sweetness lingers though (and whoever said that Brittany cidre is drier than Normandy is so far wrong).

And that is pretty much all I have to say about it. If you are stood in France in the same supermarche I was in (and I forget where exactly - maybe Neufchatel en Bray) then as long as its relatively cheap give it a shot. If its expensive then move on to the Deli down the road - they will have a better choice:-)

63/100.

Domaine Duclos Fouray Cidre

 

Another cider from Eu - a northern Normandy town pretty much right on the coast. Its a lovely place, with a great market that just seems to spread out all over the place. This came from a little shop though - not from the market. It looked like it fit all the criteria - an artisanal product, cidre fermier (farm cidre),  and two bottles for just under a tenner (so not the cheap stuff!).

This cidre comes out as a beautiful golden drink with reasonably light carbonation (considering its other French counterparts!). However, its not an 'all then nothing' carbonation - it gently fizzes and pops away to itself in the background.

Shoving my nose in the glass (and being careful not to get it wet!), there is the bittersweet aroma found in many French cidres. This is something I am getting used to - to me it reflects the fact that they are (after all) heavily governed about what can go in as much as how they produce their cidre. Well, if they want a stamp of approval they are anyway. This produces a fairly consistent profile across each region.

I am not entirely convinced that is a good thing... though there are some benefits. However, I certainly wouldn't expect PGI to be as restrictive in the UK.

On taste, it is incredibly sweet... possibly a little too sweet for me, although the balance and flavour do come through (mainly on the aftertaste) and are a mellow cidery (if a tiny bit thin on the ground). However, it was a shame to have to work my way through the sweetness to find the character below it. How I wish the taste for cider would develop and people be less accepting of blindly sweet ciders and after something a little more complex!

I like it. Not as much as other French cidres but more than many. Asides the sweetness, I am a little worried it has been filtered too much, given its brightness and the loss of girth to its flavour. Which just goes to show that all the labels and guidance you get in purchasing a product may not always pay. On the whole though, lets just say its nice if you have a sweet tooth!