Missùs 2018 1500ml Magnum

Missùs is characterised by a careful selection of nine different acidic apple varieties that ripen in the plantations of La-Folletière and especially Friardel in the famous Calvados region. Nature's work in this oldest part of Friardel is strongly influenced by weather deformities, making replanting necessary in the case of total failures such as that of 1999. Impressively, many of today's imposing trees were already standing in the 1960s when they were taken over by grandfather Benoit - and were already 50 years old at the time. That means some of these gigantic creatures are over a century old. They share their existence in harmonious comfort, around 100 to 150 per hectare. You can find varieties here - including Rambeau, René Martin, Locard Vert and, as a unique old representative, a tree of the Grisse de Lisieux variety. With love and tradition, the apples are hand-picked, selected and spontaneously fermented. This vintage was bottled on 2 March 2019, disgorged on 6 December 2021.

The colour plays intensely with splendid gold, tends towards amber and is infused with a vital mousseux. Benoit Lesuffleur sees the essence of his work in this 2018 Missùs vintage, and at the same time his high esteem for the quality from this important Calvados region resonates. The bouquet is taut, carried by the exclusively acidic apples, and includes aromas of apples and apple quince on the one hand, and woodruff, lemons, pine honey, stone notes, hops and a hint of Geuze on the other.

On the tongue, the Missùs unfolds a lot of power and a taut acid arc. This is complemented by a pronounced phenolic structure with fine tannin and elegant mousseux. Here we have a deep, fresh, long and persistent cider that, in addition to the fruity aromas of fresh fruit and fallen fruit, also evokes yeast, various expressions of citrus fruit and, again, hops. Without a doubt, a great cider.

As a culinary companion, I recommend wan tan stewed with cider and served with apple and leek vegetables, a spicy fish soup refined with cider and shallots, and a sauced pork fillet served with a sweet and sour cider and apple sauce.