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!