Calvados with Étienne Dupont | Domaine Dupont
Étienne Dupont took over the Domaine Familial Etienne Dupont (Domaine Dupont) in the Pays d’Auge region of Normandy France from his father Louis and grandfather Jules in 1980. Episode 098: Jérôme Dupont | Domaine Dupont is a conversation with Étienne son who sadly passed away in 2018. The recording with Jérôme provides the backdrop of the story behind the Dupont families acquiring the estate or what is called a Domaine in France.
In this Cider Chat
In this episode Étienne and Ria are in the city of Caen and we are visiting Cave Pepin which was a wonderful store filled with Calvados, Cider, Poire and Pommeau. We are assisted by Benoit or Ben who works at the store and brought us through a tasting of Calvados. UPDATE: This store is now closed, but Benoit has opened a new store in the city called Les Cidroloques.
Étienne’s Notes Three Sources of Aroma in Calvados
- The fruit
- The Yeast
- The Cask in which the Calvados has been kept
– If the cask is new wood you will taste the sap which presents itself as grainy.
-Classical Calvados – the cask only contained cider and Calvados
Tasting with a Master Distiller
Étienne asks if we suspect acetone in the Calvados as we are tasting, which is notable defect for any spirit and certainly Calvados. Listen in this episode as we delve into the tasting and Étienne says, “We are fighting the acetone, we are too professional”
Étienne’s Tips on Distillation of Cider at Domaine Dupont
- Étienne prefers a quick fermentation of 3 days and then distillation. But alas the rules in Normandy require that distillation now must be done 3 weeks from the point of initial distillation.
- Use clean apples. At Domaine Dupont when the apples are pressed for Calvados, the juice goes directly into concrete vats at the Pressoir and then it is pumped underground via tubing to the pot still.
- The cider is racked off the gross lees at this point, with only the Juice and the fine lees being distilled
- Dupont’s preferred temperature to ferment the cider is 22 to 23 degrees celsius (71 Fahrenheit) and no fermentation below 8 degrees Celsius (46 Fahrenheit).
Determining Age of Calvados
- Fine is younger 2-3 years old
- Hors d’Age is at least 6 years old
- Étienne jokes that Hors d’Age, which can range from 6 years to 20, is designed to get you lost. I agree and so best to ask the producer! Or as Étienne says that “You must rely on your palate.”
Contact for Domaine Familial Etienne Dupont
Mentions in this chat
- Fermentis by Lesaffre – sign up for their upcoming online Q&A discussing cider yeast via the Fermentis Academy
- Caen, France new store owned by Benoit – Les Cidrologues
Haven’t downloaded this episode yet? Here it is again for your listening pleasure.
