This is the Nouvelle Vague, Eric Bordelet’s easy drinking summer French Cider. July in France is a pretty special time of year. While Paris is buzzing with tourists, the countryside is shining with fields of yellow sunflowers. The mountains have 176 hard men and their bikes battling up an Alp through crowds and orange smoke.
Suddenly the 14th of July rolls around, Bastille Day, it’s France’s national day. No doubt the champagne will be flowing but in certain corners, Cider will be being poured. When I think of quality French Cider there is one name that comes to mind: Eric Bordelet
Sidre Brut Tendre is a French cider from Normandy, made by Eric Bordelet. Bordelet was a sommelier but now he has turned his pallet to cider making, mixing traditional French apple varieties with wine making techniques.
Sassy Cider has launched in Australia. This French Cider house has a trio of ciders but I am going with their more unusual offering. Le Cidre Rosé is a pink cider. But without artificial colours how do you make a pink cider? Read More
Fournier Doux is an bit of an elusive cider. The company’s website does little more than show images of the ciders they make including the Doux, a brut and a rosé. The bottle does tell us that the apples used in the cider are grown in their own orchards. That to me, is a massive part of “real cider”. I’m not saying superb real ciders can’t be made from brought in apples but they loose something in the terrior. It’s this soil to bottle mentality coupled with the traditional Normandy taste has seen them awarded a PGI by the European union.
PGI or Protected geographical indication Means that a product is typical of a region. The techniques used are traditional and unique to the culture of that region. The term Doux is a French term to describe the fact it is a sweet cider below 3% alcohol.