2017 Cidrerie du Vulcain Cidre Belle Brutale

Jacques Perritaz, the man behind La Cidrerie du Vulcain, works exclusively with the local orchard fruits of Fribourg: ancient varieties of apples, pears and quinces grown on high-branched, untreated trees. The Fribourg terroir, with its cool climate and diverse soils, provides for beautiful nuances in the aromatic expression of the Vulcain ciders, an effect that is only enhanced by the old age of the high-branched trees.

Jacques’ flagship cuvées are the partially fermented sparkling ciders (made with the guillage method of Clairette de Die) and ciders crafted according to the traditional methods of Normandy and Brittany. Different cuvées are crafted in function of the conditions of each year, depending on the available varieties. The ciders are always “pure juice,” fermented with their wild yeasts, only lightly filtered and only lightly sulfured at bottling time.

The name means Brutal Belle and the label was drawn by Jacques’ niece Zoé. It is made from apples Jacques purchased from a grandpa in Normandy who has old orchards planted to haute-tige trees (high standard bush trees). If Trois Pepins is normally the cider that presses all the right buttons for dryness and saltiness, Belle Brutale takes this to an entirely different level.