Top Calvados Picks

The Lemorton estate is located in Calvados' Domfrontais in the southern part of the region. As opposed to the neighboring orchards to the north, the pear tree plays a significant role here in the brandies and ciders. This is their "entry-level" bottling, but don't let that fool you -- Lemorton's Reserve is a great representation of the Domfrontais and a fascinating contrast to Calvados made only of apples.

Berneroy Calvados allows the freshly pressed apple juice to spontaneously ferment using only the ‘wild’ yeasts present on the apple skins. The cider is fermented over a period of about four weeks to complete dryness. The dry cider is distilled only once using an antique copper-column still. It is aged exclusively in older, ‘seasoned’ (aka used) barrels for a minimum of 4 years for the VSOP as required by law. The Berneroy Master Blender then combines the barrels of various ages and characteristics to create the house style.

This is the 4 year old VSOP from Calvados mainstay Pere Magloire. Here the fruit is all from the grand cru Pays d'Auge and distilled twice on column stills before a slumber in oak. The Magloire name has long been associated with the region, and can boast being the most successful brand in 1900.

The Dupont family has their orchards in the heart of the Pays d’Auge area with 6000 trees and 13 different apple varieties. Their Fine Reserve is comprised of 80% bittersweet apples and 20% acidic apples. It is double-distilled and aged in oak for a minimum of 2 years, 50% of which were new oak.

Roger Groult distills Calvados in the Pays d'Auge region of France, in Saint-Cyr-du-Ronceray. The cider base is comprised entirely of apples and aged for one year prior to distillation in copper pot-stills. After two distillations, it is aged in old Limousin oak barrels for a minimum of three years, with some older Calvados blended in as well.

Manoir de Montreuil is a collaboration between legendary importer Charles Neal and veteran calvados producer Patrice Giard. The project uses apples from Giard's beautiful, cow-filled orchards in the Pays d'Auge which are distilled twice using a traditional Alembic still. Older varieties of apples are favored because of their complexity despite the fact that they don't produce as much juice -- it's truly a labor of love.

This Calvados from the Pays d'Auge is produced in Le Breuil-en-Auge, in Lower Normandy. As is required of this region, the Calvados is double-distilled in copper pot stills. It is aged in French oak at the Château for at least 8 years.

For their XO product, Drouin incorporates a portion of ex-cognac casks into the usual mix, otherwise dominated by ex-Bordeaux barrels. The youngest spirit in this bottle is eight years old, but it includes some far older stocks as well.

Like all Drouin Pays d'Auge bottlings, this is made from 100% apples, and distilled in wood-fired antique stills over direct flame. The wood policy relies heavily on reconditioned ex-Bordeaux barrels, but sometimes adds shades of complexity by using sherry, port, and cognac casks, as well as some more exotic choices. Their Hors d'Age is aged over 15 years.

This is the calling card of the fantastic Camut estate located in the Calvados "Grand Cru" Pays d'Auge. Here, a complex system of two pot stills creates a very fine distillate that will be aged for almost two decades in the Norman countryside. The secret of Camut's incredible lush and rich spirits is that only 2/3-3/4 of the barrel is filled leaving lots of room for oxygen to interact with the aging brandy. The interchange causes the alcohol to evaporate and concentrates the natural apple flavor making for brandies with incredible texture, length, and richness.