Bordelet Sydre Argelette

Brewed by Cidriculteur Eric Bordelet
Style: Cider
Charchigne, France

Pours an attractive deep gold - um, clear apple juice color - with about a half inch of fizzy white foam. Very effervescent. Boils down (ok, boils isn’t the correct term, but you get the idea) to a thin layer of foam - with something of a thicker ring of suds at the sides of my Samuel Smith half-sized no-nick taster glass? Mild apple juice (as opposed to apple cider) aroma. Sweet apple and puckering tart apple at the same time. They compete for prominence, settle for a draw, and leave the audience (me) very content. Finishes both dry (on the tongue) and sweet (everywhere else). How can that be? This is without question an apple champagne. And yet it is medium bodied - just when you expect it to turn light. After half a glass, it remains very carbonated, even though the head is now completely gone. Minutes after my last sip, the dryness on my tongue remains. All traces of sweetness are replaced by a mild spicy/herbal taste. Chamomile maybe? I think so. Wait - make that subtle dry black pepper, with some chamomile.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bottle at Rudolf Mathis. Clody amber coloured with a bubbly white head. Aromas of apples, caramel and yeast. Sweet flavour with notes of syrup, caramel and just enough apple freshness to balance it all. Really easy drinkable. Works great with local cheese from Normandy.

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. 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.