Cidre Nerios

Cidre Nerios is a from Brittany, France. Made by the Cidermaker Domaine Johanna Cecillon. Coming from a long line of wine and cidermakers, Cecillon really knows her way around oak barrels.

I love the detailed terroir description that Cecillon about this cider. Grown on south facing deep granite soils. In the northern hemisphere, the southern slopes will get more sunlight. The granite soils should impact a mineral taste.

The orchard has fewer but larger trees than a typical modern orchard. Between the trees, the grass is allowed to grow. No pesticides or herbicides are sprayed. The theory of a biodynamic orchard is that the longer grass provides a habit for beneficial insects like Lady Beetles. If the apple trees get the odd nasty insect attack the good insects are nearby to pray on the nasties.

This is the first commercial ciders that I have reviewed that does not contain any sulphur.  Sulphur is normally added to stop any surviving bacteria from growing in the bottle and spoiling the cider. The Cidre Nerios has gets away without needing sulphur because it’s very low in sugar. Sugar is the fuel for the bacteria. No fuel, no growth. The bacteria that is allowed into the Cidre Nerios is a Natural or house that has been established over the years in the tanks and oak barrels then a wild yeast which does its work consuming the last of the sugar in the secondary fermentation.

Update sulfites are lists on the bottle while the cidermakers website says “The cider is bottled in May, with natural bubble formation and no added sulfur” Maybe the this is a change for the export market to help extend the shelf life.

The Nose

The thing about French ciders is they don’t hold back, The Cidre Nerios is no different. Wet straw,  sweaty horse, and orange blossom and orange candy.

The Taste

Sweet late season orange juice elements hit up early in the game. Fading into brown sugar and baked apples. There is a smokiness tending towards liquorice in the Cidre Nerios. The sweet drops away faster than a 10-year-olds hotdog-lunch on a rollercoaster, giving way to dry burst of lip pouting tannins.

Final Thoughts on the Cidre Nerios

My favourite thing about the Cidre Nerios is its confidence to be proud of its roots. It knows it’s roots, it’s history, it’s sense of place and dare I say it… terroir . While a little on the expensive cider compared to most ciders remember that it’s hand made in small batches and imported. And it’s still cheaper than most comparable champagne.

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