Eric Bordelet - 'Perlant' - Sparkling Apple Juice - Normandy, FR - NV - 375ml

Juice of 6 varieties of organic bitter-sharp, bitter-sweet, and sour heritage cider apples, carbon dioxide. Contains sulfites. Lightly sparkling. Gently pasteurized. Biodynamic. AMAZE.

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In 1992, Eric Bordelet, a sommelier who trained in some of Paris’ top restaurants, returned to southern Normandy to take over his family’s estate and orchards. With the encouragement of his close friend, the iconic vigneron Didier Dageneau of Pouilly-sur-Loire, he began producing artisanal ciders from apples and pears—ciders without equal that draw closer comparisons to fine, vintage wine than to beer. Over the years, he has revolutionized the cider industry by bringing it into restaurants, high-end wine shops and export markets around the world. He uses the old French spelling for cider,“Sydre” and “Sidre,” to name his bottlings.

At the core of Eric’s estate are three hectares of ancient, heirloom varietals of apple and pear trees that are 40-50 years old. In 1992, he began planting seven hectares of young apple trees and five hectares of pear trees, which are now in full production. He plants only pure varietal trees (non-hybrids), which are balanced between sweet, bitter and sour taste profiles. These are essential for producing ciders of character. Currently, he works with 20 varieties of apples and 14 types of pears—a true master of his craft who is eager to revive the less well-known varieties. Situated on schist and granite bedrock with silt and clay soil, he farms his orchards organically and biodynamically, which Eric believes produces the best fruit for ciders. He received official organic certification in 1996. While most of his orchards are free-standing, he chooses to trellis some of his pears.

Despite the incredible acreage of his orchards, Eric’s entire production of fruit is hand-picked, or rather picked-up, and put in wooden cases. The fruit is left in a drafty cellar to dehydrate for three to five weeks, after which time it is pressed. (The exception to this is the apples destined for the cuvée “Argelette” which are crushed and left to macerate on their skins for more extraction.) After pressing, fermentation begins, and the must is racked several times to both clarify the juice and slow down the process, and is then lightly filtered. The ciders are then bottled during this fermentation with varying amounts of residual sugar depending on the cuvée, without any chaptalization, to reach a final alcohol level in between three and four percent. The entire production of mousse in the bottle is derived from the primary fermentation and the delicate bottling process. And if the outstanding quality is not enough, some of Eric’s ciders also stand the test of time, making them ideal for aging . . . magic that only a former sommelier could make happen!
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History
After a long apprenticeship with some of the greatest names in the restaurant business and the world of wine, former sommelier, Eric Bordelet, took over the family business in 1992.
The property consists of 23 hectares of certified organic cider apple, perry and corme orchards.
Our commitment
Organic cultivation, alongside bio-dynamic soil treatments are currently the best adapted methods in terms of the quality of fruit. Our orchards have been certified organic since 1996.
Geography
Situated in southern Normandy on the massif Armorican, extending from the Domfrontais to the edge of the Mayenne and the Orne.
The property is situated on the great brioverien schists, “Grand Crus” sedimentary rocks from the Precambrian era.
Geology
"Argelette” is an iron rich reddish rock, schist like and quite soft, formed during the primary era and around 3 million years old.
“Granit” was formed in the tertiary era, hard because it is young, the fusion of two elements makes up the complexity of the soil and the limono-clay sub-soil.
The team
Management: M. Mme Eric Bordelet
Cellarmen: M. Jean-Michel Legentil, M. Cédric Garnier et M. Julien Bordelet
Administration: Mme Céline Bordelet
Apples, Pears and Cormes
Around 30 varieties of apple (bitter, sweet and acidic) with rustic names which change according to the village or valley where they grow.
Around 20 varieties of perry pears.
Several varieties of corme (service tree or whitty pear).
Sidermaking
Harvested by hand, into wire baskets and then placed into paloxs. Due to the large number of varieties, fruits are selected from September through to December according to ripeness.
To create the final balance, each variety of fruit is processed individually: it is assembled, coarsely ground, gently pressed and the juice is racked and settled.
Ancestral fermentation in vats and then bottling takes place over several weeks, even months depending on the vintage, with more or less residual natural sugars (fructose) so no need to add any sucrose.
Sulphite in different forms (mineral or solution) is added. A total of SO² of between 50mg/l et 80mg/l depending on the vintage.
People of note
- 1989 Dider Dagueneau (an active part in this project)
- 1990 The creation of the Union des Gens de Métier, influenced by Didier Dagueneau, Pascal Delbeck, Marc Kreydenweiss (a group of winemakers, baker etc.)
- 1991 Céline Gasnier (Mr Bordelet, accountant, secretary, colleague, associate)
- 1992 Abbaye Saint Benoit and Robert Demoy (Québec)
- 1992 André Mahérault (visionary analyst)
- 1992 Patrick Soutif (Economic architect)
- 1993 Elisabeth De Meurville (food/restaurant journalist)
- 1994 Julien Bordelet
- 1997 Jean Pierre Ferrand (Master distiller)
- 1998 Romane Bordelet