Calvados Pays d'Auge Vintage 1986

Honey and flowers...

This Calvados is produced using a double distillation process. It has undergone traditional aging followed by a year of aging in old Muscat de Rivesaltes barrels.

The nose is delicate and tender, marked first by aromas of honey and flowers, then giving way to denser scents of morello cherry and almond.

The palate is harmonious, delicious and supple with a rich finish on notes of gingerbread.

Le Nouvel Observateur – December 10-16, 2009 – Spirits Special: “The nose is marked by notes of honey and flowers, giving way to complex aromas of almond and tarte tatin. The palate is rich and supple, with a finish of gingerbread.”

Les Echos – Limited Edition December 12, 2008 – Vintage by Pierre Rival and Sylvain Ouchikh: “Matched for a year in Rivesaltes Muscat barrels, this Calvados is a blend of thirty apple varieties. A very fine, tempting nose, truly tempting from the first whiff. Apple, Bourbon vanilla, cinnamon, menthol, and exotic fruits tickle your nostrils in turn. And on the palate, all the apple varieties present themselves, full of vitality, just like at harvest time.”

1000 Wines of the World – new 2008 selection from VINALIES INTERNATIONALES – Published by Hachette Pratique: “Bright amber. After a powerful nose of vanilla, fig, plum, apple and almond, the palate leaves an impression of warm roundness and extends into a vanilla finish.”

Seen in the Official Program of the Best Sommelier of France Competition 2006 – published by the Union de la Sommellerie Française: “Amber-colored eau-de-vie, topaz with golden and old gold highlights. It is bright, clear, and full-bodied in its visual appearance. On the nose, it is of course an apple aroma that dominates, but an aroma of dried apples. We also found notes of dried fruits, apricot, and grape. Then the eau-de-vie develops superb licorice and spicy notes, pepper, vanilla, and nutmeg. On the palate, the attack is supple and smooth, followed by a beautiful liveliness that extends into a licorice and peppery finish. The whole is well-balanced, leaving a superb baked apple flavor on the retro-olfaction. We particularly appreciated this 20-year-old eau-de-vie, which combines the initial fruit with notes of aging, but with subtlety and finesse.” At the end of the meal, enjoy a casual conversation or a tender and voluptuous little cigar.

Honorary Prize, Saint Hilaire du Harcouet Competition 2016
Rated **** Spirit Journal – December 2009 (USA)
95/100 Dina Viner, Dec. 2008, Mikael Christiansson (Sweden)
Silver Medal, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2006 (Belgium)
Silver Medal, IWSC London 2006 (Great Britain)