Chateau du Breuil Pommeau de Normandie AOC 17%

Description

Chateau du Breuil Pommeau de Normandie is made by Calvados producer Chateau du Breuil. Pommeau is classified as a Mistelle, a family of drinks which also includes the grape-based Pineau des Charentes and Floc de Gascogne.

Chateau de Breuil is most famous as a producer of fine Calvados, Normandy’s famous apple brandy. They produce around 420,000 bottles of Calvados per year which makes them the second largest producer of A.O.C. Pays d’Auge Calvados. The property is located in Le Breuil En Auge around 4 or 5 kilometres to the south of Pont L’Eveque.

Chateau de Breuil itself is over 400 years old and has had many uses over the years: at one time the site was used to produce Camembert, at another time it was the site of a chocolate factory. When the estate was acquired by Mr Philippe Bizouard in 1954 with the vision to build a distillery, the first stills were installed in 1958/59. The property has been owned and run by ex-IT expert Frédéric Dussart since 2020. Ably assisted by Cellar Master, Philippe Etignard, the business has diversified into producing Rum, Whiskies, Gins et al.

Pommeau Apples & Production

Chateau du Breuil Pommeau de Normandie is a blend of Calvados and apple juice. In Pommeau production around 70% of the apples need to be bitter to bittersweet and rich in tannins. These have names such as  Douce Moen, Marie-Ménard, Saint Aubin and Fréquin-Rouge. It is made by marrying one year old Calvados with ‘mout’ (non-fermented cider). The proportions are calculated to obtain a final alcohol rate of 17 % by volume (around two-thirds apple juice to one-third Calvados). After blending Pommeau de Normandie has to be aged for a minimum of 14 months in Normandy in oak casks. These are ex-Calvados casks that have mellowed but impart some influence to the Pommeau.

Read more about Pommeau.