Originally, the terroir of Perche
The most continental terroir of the Great Western Cider region, the Perche has a ‘degraded’ oceanic climate, with less rainfall, colder winters, and warmer summers. These factors have contributed over the centuries to the selection of apple varieties suitable for cider production in Perche.
It is these late varieties and the Perche climate that give the Perche cider its sweetness, roundness, and tannic notes, making the tasting so enjoyable.
Carefully selected apple varieties:
We select around fifty varieties; sweet, sweet-bitter, bitter, and acidic to make Perche cider. Sourced from high-stem or low-stem orchards, we harvest them at maturity, and they are pressed late to ensure a long fermentation, which is essential to the typicity of Perche cider.
Among these apples, some have very poetic names: Rousse de l’Orne, Atroche, Marnière, Doux Normandie, Bouet de Bonnetable, Bedan, Tardive de la Sarthe, Saint-Hilaire, Fréquin rouge, and Binet rouge…
Our Apple Varieties
Through their diversity and aromatic complexity, these few apple varieties, essential to Perche cider, contribute to defining its typicity: golden to orange color, roundness, balance of flavors with sweetness, bitterness, and acidity, fruity notes, a light bitterness in the mid-palate, and a refreshing finish.
Late and among the most widespread in the Perche, this variety is sweet and contributes to the aromatic intensity, as well as the fruity notes of Perche ciders.
An intimate relationship with the terroir
The cider of Perche maintains a close and emotional relationship with its terroir. Its characteristics are intimately tied to the climate and the various types of soils of the Perche hills, where the apple varieties suited to this land are cultivated.
What we stand for:
We are deeply connected to our terroir and have been fighting for 20 years to have our product recognized as a reference in French gastronomy.
We want every food lover to have the opportunity to taste our cider because we believe it deserves a place on the finest tables in France.
We are six producers, and we exclusively produce exceptional, high-end products, either through organic farming or transitioning to organic practices.
We want the people of Perche to be proud of their roots and their products, and to consume locally to support our approach.
Our ciders are meant for those who seek quality, who are in pursuit of pleasure, discovery, and new experiences. For those who want to be amazed.
The AOC Label
The AOC/AOP label, a process of recognizing the product’s uniqueness, the expression of a terroir to be discovered by the consumer.
In 1998, a group of passionate cider producers from the Perche region, under the guidance of Maurice Levier, gathered for the first time and decided to create the Syndicat Cidricole du Perche. This was the first step in the process of obtaining the AOC/AOP label. It wasn’t until about twenty years later that our Perche cider received the AOC label, which later became AOP, a European recognition that made Perche the 6th cider appellation in Europe.
Beyond a label, for us, it is a point of pride that we share with all the people of Perche. This AOC/AOP recognition places Perche among the terroirs of excellence, ensuring consumers traceability from the orchard to the bottle and guarantees a traditional high-quality production carried out directly in the farms.
Balanced organoleptic properties
Our Perche ciders have a great aromatic complexity.
They are subtly balanced, both sweet, tannic, and tangy… Experts attribute great organoleptic properties to them, as they are long on the palate and refreshing.
They are the result of the marriage between the Perche terroir and the know-how of the people of Perche. Whether demi-sec or brut, golden yellow to orange, they stand out for their roundness, balance of flavors, fruity notes, a slight bitterness in the mid-palate, and a refreshing finish.
They are subtly balanced, both sweet, tannic, and tangy… Experts attribute great organoleptic properties to them, as they are long on the palate and refreshing. They are the result of the marriage between the Perche terroir and the expertise of the people.