Dupont Famille 20 YR. Calvados

This  has an aroma set of baked apple, kouign amann, forest floor, licorice, clove and pepper. The palate is balanced with earth and forest floor up front with flavors of caramel, apple, and baking spices. D&M Tasting Notes

Considered to be one of the legendary houses of the Pays d’Auge. It is located in Victot-Pontfol, in the heart of the Route du Cidre: Domaine Dupont. The Dupont family first came to the estate as tenant farmers in 1887, and Jules Dupont after working the land and raising cattle for a quarter century he was able to buy the Domaine in 1916. His son continued to primarily raise cattle and sell the distillate from their ten acres of trees to the large houses. When Etienne Dupont took over in 1980 he decided to focus the family’s efforts on cider and Calvados production. (He had worked at a bank in England beforehand and saw an untapped demand for Calvados.) This he continued over his time at the domaine before handing the reins over to his children: Jérôme and Anne-Pamy Dupont in 2002.

Brother and sister had continued to raise the profile and excellence of their family’s labors before Jérôme Dupont died in August 2018 at the age of 48. As spirits writer Jason Wilson wrote after his passing: “Jérôme was an icon in the region, a leading member of the younger generation of Calvados producers who traveled extensively spreading the gospel of both apple brandy and cider.” At this time Anne-Pamy and Etienne are running the estate overseeing a staff of 14 from orchard to cellar. In the orchards there are 6000 apple trees made up of 13 different varieties that are spread across 74 acres. Beginning in 2021 all of the orchards are certified organic, which has an immediate effect on the cider though it will be quite some time before that designation appears on their Calvados. Michael Kennel, D&M