MichelHuard-GuillouetVintageCalvados,SingleBarrel#159,France(2013)

<p>This is a vintage, single-cask Calvados drawn from Barrel #159, distilled from heirloom Norman apples that were pressed in the autumn, allowed a long, cool cider fermentation over winter, then distilled in copper to preserve fruit purity and spice. It matured a decade-plus in well-seasoned French oak in Huard’s cool, humid chai and was bottled from a single barrel with minimal reduction, without coloring or chill-filtration. The profile is classic and deeply poised: baked apple, quince paste, and orange oil layered with cider spice, cinnamon and clove, warm vanilla, roasted hazelnut, and a gentle rancio note. The palate is supple and precise, carrying orchard fruit and toffee into a long, lightly tannic, oak-laced finish.</p>