詩人酒窖 Le Cellier des Poètes: 諾曼地蘋果氣泡酒的夢想家 - Chateau de Hauteville , Eric Bordelet

Formerly the sommelier at one of Paris’ most famous Michelin 3-star restaurants (Arpege), Eric Bordelet was encouraged by his good friend Didier Dageneau to pursue his dream of making world-class cider in his native Normandy.

Moving back to his family’s farm, Eric was blessed with some of the most exquisite raw material he could have ever wanted.

There are some 100 varieties of apples on the farm and a small orchard of pear trees planted around 1700. (The Normans have a saying about these 300 year old trees, “100 years to grow, 100 years to produce, and 100 years to die”). Let’s hope they aren’t about to die yet as these trees produce a pear cider called “Granit” that has the complexity and fine bubbles of a great champagne, with high acid and stunning minerality.

The entire production is farmed without chemicals and the property was certified organic in 2005. You’ve never tasted cider like this.

曾是巴黎米其林三星級餐廳侍酒師的Eric Bordelet，受到好友Didier Dageneau的鼓勵，勇於追求夢想，因而放下侍酒師職務，回到家鄉諾曼第釀造蘋果酒。

Eric Bordelet接掌了家族農場，面積約有19公頃，其中有7公頃的梯田以休耕多年，因此Eric Bordelet決定實施biodynamic生物動力自然農法，並於2005獲得有機認證。如今，Eric Bordelet已成為諾曼第區最大的蘋果酒生產商之一。

About Normandy 諾曼第

Driving through the Normandy region, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time. The houses appear to be at least 300 years old. The only sound is of cows lowing in the distance. It is lost in time.

However, this lost region is home to some of the world’s most beloved culinary treasures. The two greatest raw materials here are apples and cream. Many of the local cheeses are made from the abundance of milk and cream (almost always from cows.) This is also calvados country, the famous apple digestif that’s been the downfall of many a Parisian writer. And finally, there is the cider.

The Pays d’Auge is different from the rest of Norman cider in that it has its own appellation with tightly controlled laws for its production. There are limits on the varieties of apples used and the villages in which they can be grown. The laws are based on the AOC system that controls wine production.

開車始於諾曼第區會有種時空倒轉般的感覺，街上的建築幾乎都超過300年歷史，而母牛的牛鳴聲伴隨著車子行進。諾曼地生產了全世界都為之喜愛的兩樣農產品–蘋果和奶油，許多當地的cheeses都是採用這裡的牛奶與奶油製成。

著名的餐後酒calvados蘋果白蘭地亦是採用諾曼地區的蘋果製成的。

The Pays d’Auge不同於諾曼第區其他的蘋果酒，The Pays d’Auge的蘋果酒須遵循種植品種與村莊等AOC法定產區的嚴格規範。

About the Cidre 蘋果酒

"We gather the fruit by hand," Bordelet tells us. "Most commercial ciders are mechanically harvested. That is certainly less costly, but hand-gathering allows us to avoid including leaves in the press.

多數的蘋果酒酒廠以機器採收，雖然可降低許多成本，不過Eric Bordelet卻堅持手工採收，以確保果實與葉子完全分離才進行榨汁，進而釀出最優質的蘋果酒。

However, the highpoints of his portfolio are the “reserve” cuvées Sydre Argelette and Poiré Granite. The Argelette is crisp and elegant, with an aroma and flavor of poached apples leavened by citrus and spice.

This is Bordelet’s special cuvée for apples. Named after what the elders called the large and small rock formations which dominate the area, this is a truly “Grand Cru” cider. The apples are crushed and left to macerate on their skins for 3-5 days for some serious extraction of flavor. The apples used are 40% sweet, 40% bitter, and 20% acidic (sour), and the finished cider contains approximately 3% residual sugar. Off dry, but with good acidity and some tannins from the skins, it is best after aging in the bottle for 1 year.

酒莊投資的highpoints用來釀造cuvées Sydre Argelette，Sydre Argelette意旨種植在多石土壤的蘋果，嚴選多達二十多個不同品種的蘋果，其中40%為甜蘋果、40%為苦的、20%為酸蘋果。壓碎榨汁後與皮一起浸漬三~五天，以萃取果皮中複雜的芳香。口感清脆且優雅，柑橘、水煮蘋果芳香中夾雜一絲香料氣息，經一年酒窖陳放後更能展現它獨特風味。

Poiré Granite is made from 300-year-old pear trees.

The Poiré Granite is very Champagne-like and dry; the pear aromas are subtly balanced by citrus, flowers, and earth, and the finish is long and complex.

Poiré Granite採自300歲的梨子樹，種植於花崗岩上，因此口感有如香檳般甘醇，柑橘、花束香氣以及土壤氣息十分均衡，尾韻綿長且充滿複雜香氣。

This delicious cider is fermented almost bone dry and has the same amount of sweetness as biting into a fresh ripe apple. The aromas remind me of standing in an orchard, just a freshness that is incomparable. Easy to drink, lovely with cheese and the finish is bright, crisp and clean.

口感有如咬下一顆甜美蘋果般的清脆可口，充滿新鮮果香，清新易飲。適搭cheese。

Fermented almost bone dry, this is the traditional style of cider for the region. It is very fresh, and like all of Bordelet’s ciders, it tastes like you’re biting into the fruit. This is a wonderful drink that will marry well with most cheeses, and just about anything that you would drink beer or wine with. The classic accompaniment, of course, is the savory crêpes from Brittany and Normandy.

傳統的蘋果酒風格，在布列塔尼與諾曼第區是鹹煎餅的絕美搭配。細緻氣泡與清新果香，容易搭配cheeses。

Although sweet in comparison with the Brut, off-dry would be the appropriate description for this beauty. There is just enough residual sugar to round out the cider on the palate to make this a remarkable drink for aperitifs, or light meals. This cider is produced from the same vats as the Brut, with the difference being that a small amount of residual sugar is left in while the former is fermented dry.

釀造方式與Brut相同，差別在於發酵時間較短，以保留蘋果中的甜度。

甜美芳香，口感微甜，尾韻綿長。十分合適佐開胃菜或任何簡單的料理。

This is Bordelet’s “Grand Cru” pear cider. The fruit source for this is a stand of 60 foot tall, 300 year old pear trees. This is a cider which can stand tall with fine champagne wines. It is only lightly filtered in order to preserve the texture and flavor of these minuscule pears. Very complex in both the nose and mouth, this is a truly unique product. Perfect in less formal settings with any food, it will also add some real class to a fine dinner or any situation where fine Champagne is called for.

This is true pear cider with just a hint of residual sugar. We could get out the wine terms for this, but tasting is believing. Very classy stuff with the texture and taste of ripe pears. Good acidity and length make this an excellent food match, especially with cheese.