1985

Appellation: Calvados Domfrontais
Distilled in: 1985
Aged: in large oak foudres 
ABV: 54%
Number of bottles released: 102 

A stunning 1985 single-barrel Calvados from the cellars of Didier Lemorton. This new arrival completes our trio of the first cask-strength Lemortons ever bottled by the estate. Selected for our Spirits from the Source Club.

Everything this vintage was single-distilled from a blend of roughly 70% pear and 30% apple, harvested from centenary pear and high-stemmed apple trees on the couple’s property in southern Normandy. Aging took place in barrels and foudres in the family’s original granite-walled cellar (the same cellar where distillation took place). It’s a relatively humid building, which allows for an excellent balance of alcohol and fruit as time passes.

They are now down to their last foudre of this vintage; this bottling was taken from it at cask-strength. As with the other vintages we bottled with them, this is extremely limited, just 102 bottles released.

Tasting Notes:

Tropical fruit emerges initially with pear and apple on the nose. Then concentrated passion fruit and candied grapefruit play with honeyed apple and pear. A hint of briny citrus and candied citrus rind emerge on the finish, dancing with fresh pear cider…

**These are the first-ever cask-strength selections bottled by the house and our quantities are very limited. 2 bottles maximum per person, please. 

About the distillers: Didier Lemorton and his wife Martine make the finest single-distilled brandies in all of Normandy — exquisite, nectar-of-the-gods Calvados that are clean, deep with tons of soul. They use a majority of pear, rather than apple, which lends a beautiful complexity to the final spirit and never reduce their spirits during aging, a true rarity in the region.

Everything we’ve tasted in their cellar, from the new-make to the 50-year old plus stock, is fruit loaded, complex and palate-coating.