2020 Champagne Method (Methode Traditionnelle) cider - 'Appellation'
2020 Champagne Method (Methode Traditionnelle) cider - 'Appellation'
Pale straw gold with exceptionally fine champagne-like bubbles
The unique Sandstone geology of the Exe valley is at the forefront of this bright, vibrant cider, where prominent sandstone minerality and salinity combine with red apple skin, honey and beeswax.
Apples : A field blend of carefully selected, uncommon & often unidentifiable dessert and culinary apples chosen for their bright, fresh acidity (alongside a handful of sweet Devon cider apples to smooth & round), all growing in our fostered orchards surrounding the river Exe, where diverse wild flowers and grasses flourish below the trees, grazed by our flock of Shropshire sheep or an orchard owner’s calves.
Fermentation: we always allow primary fermentation to happen spontaneously in stainless steel with no additions to give the purest reflection of the Exe valley terrior and unique apple varieties. After nine months the resulting vin clair were blended and bottled with Champagne yeast to develop a fine mousse, then left to rest for just over two years on the Champagne yeast lees in a cool, dark, Devon barn where the thick sandstone walls maintain a constant temperature year round.
After two years the long, slow process of hand riddling & disgorgement begin; only a few hundred bottles can be riddled at one time, therefore our releases are intermittent and you may notice small changes over time where the time spent on champagne yeast and resulting autolytic character develop.
Serve: Best enjoyed well chilled, from a flute or tulip.
Food pairing: The perfect accompaniment to shellfish, particularly Devon crab and lobster, mussels and oysters. Try using as an alternative to wine in and pairing for moules marinière. Also pairs very well with spicy foods and mature, clothbound cheddar.
volume: - 75cl
alcohol - 8 % abv
unfiltered, fined
25ppm sulphite added with a 2.4g/l dosage at disgorgement
100% unsprayed, exe valley apples
If you like grower Champagne try this as a very English alternative.