Etienne Dupont Organic Cidre Bouché Brut de Normandie

2007 Bottle: Pop goes the cork..fizzy through the air to the glass...Head starts huge with a vigorous pour but fast fowards to absolute nothing. Slowly the bubbles rise to the top and form a white ring around the edges of the glass. The nose is subtle apple with faint notes of wood, cheese, band-aid, must, and barn. The flavors bring out stronger notes of funk, cheese, and a sweet apple flavor that quickly finishes on the woody, cheesy, dry side. I probably should have held on to this for another year or two as I think the funk will grow, but as of now, it’s still quite nice. Very woody, sweet, but then dry at the same time. Will need to grab a few for the cellar, for sure.

2006 bottle. Pours with a largish, foamy white head covering a hazy gold body with some particles. Aroma of apples, light barnyard and some cinnamon. Taste is sweet upfront followed by dry apples and earthyness. Fizzy.

375ml Bottle 2006 Cinnamon nose. Earthy and over ripe apple flavors. Finishes dry, with an odd wood finish.

2005 vintage: Pristine yellow gold. White head nosily fizzles as it slowly diminishes into a consistent, well-retained collar. Zingy, saliva-inducing aromas of unripe peaches, grass, melon, leather, bandage, dried apples, and musty basement. Notably minerally as well. Hints of iron and cedar. Soft, big-bubbled crackle of carbonation. Soft, well-rounded lactobacillus tartness immediately fuses with a bright kiss of explosive fruit which packs supple weight and a high concentration of refined sweetness. Notes of leather and oak gorgeously contrast with the slick body and remarkably succulent apple character as they lend light grip. Complexity is through the roof, and the balance is awe-inspiring. Brett-derived phenols crisply sparkle with pinpoint definition which echoes the equally snappy apple profile. Perfumey esters enhance the lift and bolster the quaffable nature of the cider. Borderline-brisk acidity lightly buckles the cheeks as it lends slight firmness to the otherwise resoundingly juicy body. Faint apple skin bitterness complements the structure as it harmonizes with the poignant yet artfully understated oak character. Tannins are nonexistent which allows the fruit to showcase its pureness. Acid continually teases the palate as it wavers in and out of the dense residuals. Lovely interplay between dryness and sweetness as it finishes with a lengthy fusion of pineapple, peach, musty cellar, and vibrant apples. Both a rustic and extravagant cider from France’s finest. Not stocking this by the case should be a sin. This is divine.

Consumed May ’06. Hazy yellowish-orange, decent head, lots of sedimant. Huge geueze like aroma. Sour apples, tart apple skin. Flavor much the same, with maybe a little cork character. Very dry, crisp. Very nice overall.