A UNIQUE KNOW-HOW

Cider production

“Maison Coquerel is still producing its Calvados in respect of the Normand tradition, yet using today’s technology.
The apples are washed and gravitationally floated to an elevator which takes them to a grating machine where they are turned into pulp. The pulp is conveyed to a press, spread out between two perforated sheets of metal and driven through two high-pressure rollers. The apple-juice thus produced is called the must. ”

“The apple juice is left to ferment naturally over several months as the sugar gradually turns into alcohol. It becomes cider.
It is only after this fermentation process that this cider can be distilled to produce “eau de vie de cidre” (apple brandy).”

AN ART

The distillation

“The distillation method used at the Maison Coquerel is called “first stage “ distillation.
This is what makes it possible to extract the alcohol contained in the cider.
By raising its temperature to boiling point in a copper still, the alcoholic vapours of the cider rise into a concentration column where they are cooled down. The beginning (heads) and end (tails) parts of the distillation are separated and only the 70°-proof middle part is retained.”
It takes 6 kg of apples to obtain five liters of cider which in turn produce an average 70 centiliters and 40°-proof bottle of Calvados.

A PASSION

The ageing

Calvados matures in barrels made from dry oak in which the contact with the wood provides all the necessary elements for its successful completion.

Our Calvados is housed in our storage cellars where it starts maturing in 2 500 small oak barrels and about thirty hogsheads or large casks, all made of white oak from the Limousin area which will bring out the best qualities in the brandy.

“In the hallowed silence of our storage cellars, Calvados shapes and develops its rich personality.
Every year, we lose the equivalent of 60 000 bottles of Calvados to evaporation. This is called “the angels’ share”.”
Time plays its part… so does our cellar-master in charge of the delicate evolution of the different varieties of Calvados.

Like a true alchemist, it is he who oversees the blending of Calvados from different areas or crops, always to achieve that perfect balance and flavour which is the trademark of Calvados Coquerel.

A MASTER

The blend

After patiently waiting for our eau de vie to mature, our cellar master starts creating the blends of our Maison.

The blending consists in the selection and careful paring of each Calvados of our cellars in order to ensure that each bottle will bear our signature.