Today’s bottle caused such a stir around our tasting table that it was destined to become SommSelect’s first-ever cider offer: “Best I’ve ever tasted” and “mindblowing” were just a few of our comments for this vintage-dated, bottle-conditioned, competes-with-Champagne cider. But then, just when the excitement was at its peak, their importer dealt a bone-crushing blow: “This is the last bottle I have in the States.” That's when we learned, not surprisingly, that Domaine Lesuffleur has a cult sommelier following in Europe, where the lion’s share is sent to the most discerning lists.
So, we committed right then and there to the next shipment, which has finally arrived after many months of impatient feet tapping. When something tastes this good and has such a tiny production, you can’t sit around and wait for it to fall in your lap! Truth be told, we never knew cider could move us this much, but after learning about Lesuffleur’s master blending methods (over 12 different heirloom apples), unique means of production (
méthode ancestrale and disgorgement), and extended bottle aging (three total years), it all became very clear: This is the Champagne of ciders! Today’s 2015 “La Folletière” is for anyone who enjoys an effervescent, thirst-quenching drink that resonates with prickling minerality and crystal-clear fruit. Summer or fall, this is about as good as it gets, and it will keep aging beautifully for years to come! For those of you who associate cider more closely with beer than wine, this one will permanently change your thinking. First come, first served, so don’t delay!
First, Normandy: Due west of Paris, its coastal farmland is populated with premium apples that are highly sought after by farmers and
peckish livestock. Within this sprawling region of northwest France, there is a smaller delimited area known as
Pays d’Auge—this is where you’ll find some of the best
cidres (and calvados, too). These come from apple varieties that fall in the categories of sweet, sour, bittersweet, and bitter, of which the latter two must make up a certain portion of the final blend. Though Domaine Lesuffleur is located within this appellation, their ciders don’t qualify for the Pays d’Auge because young proprietor Benoit Lesuffleur doesn’t want to be restricted to percentages when blending—which he does with a masterful touch.
For generations, the Lesuffleur family sold off the majority of their apples to larger cider houses while preserving a tiny amount for homemade production that was distributed between friends and family. A label didn’t come about until recently when, in 2012, 25-year-old Benoit asked the age-old question: “Why sell when we can make it ourselves?” And, despite the scoffs and dubious looks, he did just that. Sound familiar? It should: It’s nearly identical to the revolutionary grower-producer movement in Champagne!
Planted by Benoit’s father in 1996, the small orchard (within the Pays d’Auge appellation) that supplies “La Folletière” is in the commune of La Folletière-Abenon. Though the family owns a number of different orchards, Benoit chose this when starting up his production, as he believed it produced the best fruit. He selected 12 different heirloom apple varieties from this site, ranging from sharp to bitter to bittersweet, and a 100% hand harvest was carried out in 2015.
The apples were then washed and crushed before undergoing a finicky process that is increasingly becoming a lost art: Benoit is a believer in “keeving.”
What? This is a more difficult, old-school style that starts by allowing pectins (soluble fibers) to leach from the skins and combine with the juice before it is racked into another vessel. As time passes in this new vessel, these pectins start forming a thick,
gnarly-looking film on top. The heavier substances fall to the bottom, leaving the middle layer nutrient-bare—which is the
créme de la créme.
Indigenous yeasts started a cool, months-long fermentation that continued as the pristine middle-layer of cider was transferred into bottle in January of 2016. This is known as méthode ancestrale, which is essentially one fermentation that continues in bottle, whereas the traditional Champagne method undergoes a complete second fermentation in bottle. Following 12 months of development in bottle, Benoit then employed another unique technique: During this time, natural carbonation and building pressure (roughly half that of Champagne), allowed for a disgorgement that purged the cider of excess sediment and lees. A cork was placed in January of 2017 and for the past two years, it has been motionlessly aging in Normandy. All in all, we’re looking at a fascinatingly delicious four-year project.
So does keeving and a disgorgement after one year of aging result in a different-tasting cider? Absolutely. It pours darker than most (light amber with orange hues) and drinks smoother, deeper, and cleaner, too. There are many ‘vinous’ qualities to be found, in fact—maybe that’s why we’re all enamored with it! There is a wonderful touch of natural sweetness that is intricately balanced by smooth-grained tannins and electrifying freshness. Peach, blood orange, Rainier cherries, herbs, damp leaves, and obviously, basketfuls of ripe, intensely perfumed orchard apples penetrate your senses and linger on an ultra-savory finish. And, like the magic act of great off-dry Riesling, it starts with an inviting sweetness on the tip of your tongue and finishes harmoniously dry. Benoit may be new to the scene but this proves he’s already mastered an age-old practice. This bottle will continue developing savory characteristics over the next 5+ years, but it’s firing right now! Serve in large stems around 50-55 degrees, open up a handful over a weekend, and watch your friends marvel at its delicious contents. This is an amazing find, great as an apéritif with some hard cheeses but also a unique and compatible choice with Thai or Indian curries, among many other possibilities. You’ll be surprised, as we were, at how often you’ll reach for it!
