Bordelet Sydre Argelette

Brewed by Cidriculteur Eric Bordelet
Style: Cider
Charchigne, France

Hazy amber. Soft effervescence. Very sweet and slightly smokey. Toasty with a sweet finish. Very soft. Delicious - those smokey nuances make this a very original and enjoyable cider.

(750ml bottle) Hazy apple juice body with small white head. Aroma is medium sweet, apple, some tartness, floral, faint seltzer. Taste is medium sweet, starts sweet up front before turning dry mid-tongue. Nice tartness and light sourness. Light-medium body, light crispness.

Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a small white lace. Has a fruity slightly dry apple aroma. Dry fruity smooth apple flavor with some very soft tart hints. Has a sweetish fruity dry apple finish.

2002 bottle. Head is initially small, fizzy, white, fully diminishing. Body is clear light amber. Aroma is notes of apple, oak, moss, grass, flowers, hints of oregano and honey. Flavor is moderately sweet, moderately acidic. Finish is lightly sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Medium body, watery/velvety texture, fizzy carbonation, lightly astringent. More carbonation, slightly drier, and more balanced and restrained in the aroma(and revealing more terroir) than the Brut Tendre, this is about as close to true (French) Champagne as I’ve had in the cider world (minus the ubiquitous bread dough note and the alcohol level common to Champagne). Perfect flavor balance, subtle complex aromas, and exceptionally clean...not a knock-you-over cider like Dupont makes, but easily the most elegant cider I’ve had to date. Absolutely outstanding, but if you don’t like wine or Champagne you will likely not appreciate this all too much.

Gold color with a thin head. Musty apple aroma. Honey and apple dominate the flavor. Lightly tart, fairly sweet. The mustiness comes through like old, worn out oak barrels. A distinct ’cellar’ quality.

Bottle. Cloudy light brown drink with a mildly sweet apple aroma and a very dry apple and slightly spritzy flavour. Overall an average drink.

2005 bottle thanks to thecheeseman, shared with angrypirate06 and ilovedarkbeer. Pours with a frothy white head that remains in a ring for the duration of the experience. Very nice hazed golden body underneath. Aroma is everything that a Normandy cider should be: Dry with notes of cheese, band-aids, caramel, bitter crab apples and tons of phenols. This cider is extremely drinkable. Taste is very complex and lingers in your mouth for a minute or two. Smokey notes with band-aid, sweetness, slight medicinal quality, and a caramel, fresh apple sweetness. Lively bubbles, lush mouthfeel.

Bottle from Sunset Corners. Pours a splendid dark amber, much darker than expected, appealingly effervescent and leaving splotchy lace. Wondrous resin in the aroma. Any medicinal quality is pleasant, woodsy, naturally musty with a rich core of apples. Nice soft carbonation, a powdery dry, almost tannic sensation on the tongue. Big beautiful bountiful flavors are nuanced and complex. Loads of honey make up the middle. Lingering resinous, mineral, and musty finish is absolutely lovely. Some mace and cinnamon notes create a spicy character especially towards the end. Lots of skin flavors and also the bitterness of apple cores. My kind of cider.