Calvados du Pays d'Auge VSOP

The family Dupont have had their roots in Normandy from the early 18th century and until the 1930s, when Louis Dupont changed the focus of the family domain, cider and calvados production was not the core business. Instead they reared cattle and Louis’ father Jules sold some calvados and cider to supplement their income, beginning as a tenant farmer before buying the domaine in 1887, helped by the proceeds of his sales. His son Louis increased production, quality and sales to local merchants after taking over in 1934 and in 1974 when he passed away his wife Colette bravely took the reins before passing them to her son Etienne in 1980.

Etienne’s succession marked an industrious time for the domaine as orchards were planted, refurbished and expanded and as the emphasis on cider and calvados production grew even further. He expanded the orchard and visited Cognac to explore new techniques while playing a prominent part in establishment of the appellation contrôlée Pays d'Auge, Normandy’s finest area for calvados production.

The next generation of Duponts joined the business in 2002 when his son Jérôme and daughter Anne-Pamy came on board as directors, working alongside their father and continuing the focus on excellence. They have even employed oenologists to achieve this, applying techniques usually associated with winemaking to improve their cider and consequently their calvados.
Currently the family own 30 hectares right in the in the heart of the Pays d'Auge region, planted with some 6000 apple trees of no less than 13 different varieties, each bringing a unique characteristic to the final blend.

It is the poor soil of the region that produces the smaller apples most suited to cider and calvados production. No fertilizers that would swell the fruit are used and the apples are only picked at full maturity after several runs through the orchard. Hand-sorting ensures that only the healthiest fruit makes it to the presses.

Cider fermentation, begun in vats, continues in the bottle to produce an aromatic complex cider whose natural haze is a sign of this method, and further ageing helps to smooth the natural effervescence. Cider intended for Calvados is aged for six months to increase its aromatic qualities before being double distilled and then aged in new oak where, for the first 3 months, an application of gentle heat promotes vanilla notes in the finished spirit. The calvados is then transferred to older oak casks for further ageing, which concentrates the flavours and gives the calvados more complexity before bottling.

The emphasis of the Duponts is on quality rather than quantity and they never rest on their laurels.