Friardel 2019

Wine Description for Friardel 2019 by Lesuffleur

Character

The Friardel by Lesuffleur is a cider – not wine in the classical sense, but a craft-produced apple beverage from Normandy. With its 5.5% alcohol and a perceptible residual sweetness, it embodies the traditional cider demi-sec, which seeks balance between fruit, acidity and subtle sweetness. The designation „Friardel“ points to a specific cuvée or style of the producer, which presumably puts local apple varieties to the fore.

Terroir & Origin

Normandy is the heartland of French cider culture, where the maritime climate with mild temperatures and sufficient rainfall creates ideal conditions for apple trees. The region boasts centuries-old traditions in processing cider apples – bitter-sweet and bitter varieties that lend the cider its characteristic complexity. Lesuffleur presumably works with apples from its own or local orchards, where the trees thrive on the region’s typical clay-rich soils.

Apple Varieties & Production

Instead of grape varieties, traditional Norman apple varieties are used here, whose tannins and acid structure lend the cider depth. Production follows craft methods: natural yeasts, controlled fermentation and often bottle fermentation, which creates the fine perlage. The 2019 vintage benefited from a balanced harvest year. The moderate residual sweetness arises from stopping fermentation or from the natural balance of the apple varieties used.

Food Pairing Recommendations

This cider is the classic companion to Norman cuisine: excellent with galettes (savoury buckwheat crêpes), Camembert and other regional cheeses, moules-frites or pork with apple cream sauce. The residual sweetness also harmonises with flammkuchen, onion tart or lightly spiced Asian dishes. As an aperitif, it refreshes on warm days.