Pierre Huet Cordon Or 30 Year Old Calvados (700ml)

If you are looking to take your Calvados experience to another level, Pierre Huet has two new bottlings available: a 1972 vintage and this, the 'Cordon Or' . They are very different expressions but equally deserving of attention. Fermented in one hundred year old oak and aged in separate barrels for a minimum of 30 years, venerable apple brandies like this can be shape-shifting spirits - which ups the complexity and enjoyment: In the initial pour, aromas leap from the glass with pure, perfectly mature whiffs of poached pear and baked red apples over cigar box, cinnamon and fruit pastries. In later passes, the accent remains on shellac and vanillin oak. Even at thirty years old, when most are overburdened by tannin, this feels fine-tuned delivering impressive fruit intensity with acidity and oak in support; The finish adds an almost crunchy acidity and delicate astringency that's like biting into a piece of fresh fruit. The aftertaste leaves a final impression of rusticity - fermier cider, half-ripened pears, quince paste and hints of soft cheese rind combine with a salivating freshness. It's a gorgeous Calvados experience that boasts a range and depth that only great age brings, while keeping true to the orchards that conceived it. Allow 10-15 minutes in the glass to show its best. 40% Alc./Vol.