Michel Huard-Guillouet - 2007 Vintage Calvados

• Calvados produced by seventh-generation producer Jean-Francois Guillouet in Caligny, Suisse-Normand, under the AOC appellation
• Distilled from 100% apple
• 100% sourced from the 2007 harvest
• Cider is naturally fermented sur lie in fiberglass, stainless steel, and enamel-lined tanks for 8–12 months
• Distilled on a traveling, wood-fired copper column still
• Aged minimum of 16 years in used French oak of varying sizes and proofed slowly over time with low-mineral water from one of the property’s wells
• Aromas of deep green apple, vanilla, honey, and a touch of almond lead to a round, oily mouthfeel and a long finish; a wonderful representation of the third Calvados appellation

The Huard family has lived on the Le Pertyer property in the Suisse-Normand for seven generations; Jean-Francois Guillouet took over in 2012 when his grandfather Michel passed away. Nearly 1,800 trees on standard rootstock (hautes-tiges) grace the 15-hectare property, which is considered the most admired in the AOC Calvados appellation. The soil is loamy, composed of an ideal combination of silt and clay, and about 30 varieties of apples are grown on the property, predominantly from the sweet and bittersweet categories. Jean-Francois ferments and ages his cider for about 8–12 months before it is single distilled in a traveling, wood-fired column still. The spirits then go into large, elongated barrels (stained black by time) or well-seasoned 400-liter barrels ideal for developing complex flavor.