Manoir d'Apreval 2003 #72 70cl (04/2022)

Calvados Manoir d'Apreval 2003 Single Cask #72

Information from MFB Imports:
The Manoir d'Apreval is situated in the northernmost part of the Pays d'Auge, in a deep, narrow valley that overlooks the point where the Seine meets the English Channel. From the orchards you can see cargo ships making their way to Le Havre, Normandy's largest port.

We met Agathe Letellier, who is the third generation to run her family estate, on a typically Norman day last autumn (chilly, cloudy and light rain). Since the early 1990s she has managed the production of cider, apple juice and of course Calvados on the farm. Seventeen different apple varieties are grown on the 25-hectare property, which sits between two wooded hills of elm and wild rhododendrons. There is a healthy biodiversity in the area, between the deer from the nearby forests, the seabirds that nest in the canal and in the summer a never-ending stream of Parisians, Belgians and Dutch people holidaying here.

We spent the morning tasting old casks in the dimly lit basement while bats crawled and flew in the rafters above us. All aged spirits are characterized by a deep fruitiness, but also by a grace and elegance, often thanks to double distillation.

The Pays d'Auge region is home to double-distilled Calvados, a more elegant and refined spirit than some of its country cousins ​​found in the rest of the region. But this is an expensive undertaking for the producers, which usually requires their own distillery, which is why only a quarter of the total production in the region is "à répasse".

Manoir d'Apréval has produced some of the finest Calvados vintages yet to be widely enjoyed in the United States. And we think our 2003 vintage is a real gem. In Agathe's own words, he is "un petit Jésus en culotte de velours!" - A great introduction to Calvados for the uninitiated and a complex, fragrant and layered spirit for the seasoned connoisseur.