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Calvados is the result of the distillation of low-alcohol apple cider (young wine). After distillation of mash with a strength of 4-5%, a 40-degree moonshine is obtained, which is popular not only in its homeland – in France – but throughout the world.
Manufacture
First, winemakers harvest fruits (necessarily by hand, carrion is rejected) – more than 200 varieties of apples are used to produce Calvados: sour, sweet, bitter, hard and soft. All fruits should have a rich aroma, grassy ones are not suitable.
Apples are crushed under pressure and wait 5 weeks for the apple juice to ferment and turn into dry cider. Then the resulting young wine is distilled in stills (once or twice – it depends on the region and local wine-making traditions) and sent to age in oak barrels for at least two years.
Calvados is a name controlled by origin: apple moonshine produced outside certain regions of Normandy (appellations) must bear a different name, the common name for this category of spirits is “apple brandy”.
Varieties of Calvados
Calvados is always blended: it is by mixing different alcohols that the finished drink gets a unique taste and aroma. Millezimny called Calvados, completely made from apples of one, especially successful, harvest year. Such “apple brandies” have a certain set of organoleptic properties characteristic of a given year, are aged for at least 10 years and belong to the highest price category.
In English-speaking countries, you can find the term “vintage Calvados” – this is a synonym for millezim.
It is believed that classic Calvados is made from 70% bittersweet apple alcohols, 10% from bitter ones, and the last 20% falls on sour varieties (pears take their place in the Calvados Domfrontais appellation). There is another recipe: 40% sweet and bittersweet varieties and 20% sour. However, these are not strict proportions, in addition, each winemaker carefully selects the types used, therefore, even with a thorough adherence to the standards of the appellation, each producer will have “apple moonshine” with a unique bouquet.
Types of Calvados by exposure time
According to French standards, Calvados is:
- Fine (Young). The distillate is aged in an oak barrel for at least 2 years, the finished drink has a light golden color and a rich aroma of juicy apples.
- Reserve (Aged). The aging period is from 3 years, notes of oak are already appearing in the bouquet.
- Vieille Reserve (Mature). Exposure from 4, the taste becomes more tart and spicy.
- Extra (Extra). Exposure exceeds 6 years (most often – 10-15), the nuances of spices, nuts, chocolate, coffee are clearly felt in the aroma.
In blends of different years, the exposure of the youngest alcohol is always indicated, although Calvados may even contain mature varieties.
Classification of Calvados by appellations
The producers of Normandy are divided into the following zones:
- AOC calvados is the largest appellation, supplying the market with more than 70% of the total volume of calvados. More than 6000 manufacturers are registered on the territory, while the quality criteria and manufacturing technology are not strictly prescribed, leaving room for creativity. Accordingly, here you can find the most diverse types of Calvados, since the imagination of local winemakers is practically unlimited.
- Calvados Pays d’Auge – production is strictly unified: half-year fermentation (fermentation), double distillation, at least two years of exposure.
- Calvados Domfrontais is the smallest region, producing only 1% of the total Calvados. Specializes in the apple-pear version of the drink (proportions 70/30), exposure should be at least 3 years.
In addition, the so-called “farm Calvados” is also made, which is also made in Normandy, but not according to the rules or on the territory of a particular appellation. The entire production process takes place on a farm using traditional technology.