27C. French Cider

This includes Normandy styles plus ciders inspired by those styles, including ciders made by various techniques to achieve the French flavor profile. These ciders are made with bittersweet and bitter-sharp apple varieties cultivated specifically for cider making. Traditional French procedures use small amounts of salt and calcium compounds (calcium chloride, calcium carbonate) to aid the process of pectin coagulation. These compounds may be used, pre-fermentation, but in limited quantity. It is a fault if judges can detect a salty or chalky taste.

Aroma/Flavor

Fruity character/aroma. This may come from slow or arrested fermentation (in the French technique of défécation) or approximated by back sweetening with juice. Tends to a rich fullness.

Appearance

Clear to brilliant, medium to deep gold color.

Mouthfeel

Medium to full, mouth filling. Moderate tannin apparent mainly as astringency. Carbonation moderate to champagne-like, but at higher levels it must not gush or foam.

Overall Impression

Medium to sweet, full-bodied, rich.

Comments

Entrants MUST specify carbonation level (petillant or full). Entrants MUST specify sweetness (medium, sweet). Entrants MAY specify variety of apple for a single varietal cider; if specified, varietal character will be expected.

Varieties

Nehou, Muscadet de Dieppe, Reine des Pommes, Michelin, etc.

Vital Statistics

Commercial Examples

[US]

• West County Reine de Pomme (MA)
• Rhyne Cider (CA);

[France]

• Eric Bordelet (various)
• Etienne Dupont
• Etienne Dupont Organic
• Bellot