Calvados Dupont VSOP, Pays D’Auge 42% 70cl

Calvados Dupont VSOP (the VSOP stands for Very Superior Old Pale as it does in Cognac) is aged for a minimum of 5 years in toasted 400 litre oak barrels, with 25% of new oak.  By law, VSOP Calvados has to be aged for a minimum of 4 years.

The estate was founded in 1916 when Jules Dupont bought it at a “candle auction. In 1980, Etienne Dupont took over from his father Louis and worked extremely hard to improve, not only the old orchards, but also cider production and distillation methods. Etienne Dupont was responsible for the creation of the appellation contrôlée A.O.C. Pays d’Auge. Since 2002, Jerome Dupont, Etienne’s son, has run the estate in partnership with his sister Anne-Pamy, and continues to modernise and improve.

Calvados Dupont is situated in the heart of the Pays d’Auge Calvados in the commune of Victot-Pontfol. The Pays d’Auge region has become known for the extra finesse and delicacy of the Calvados partly because it only permits the use of apples and insists on double pot distillation.

The estate comprises over 35 hectares of orchards planted on clay soils which combine small standard trees and older taller trees. It has been organically certified since 2021. Apple varieties such as Saint Martin, Doux Normandie and Noël des Champs are specially cultivated to provide the maximum aromatic qualities from their small fruits. Domaine Dupont uses three types of apples in a set formula: 30% sweet, 30% bitter and 40% apples with high acidity to give the perfect balance of flavour. All the apples are cropped manually and stored in open wooden crates to allow them to rest and mature for up to a month before fermentation.

To perfect the estate’s distilling techniques, Etienne went to Cognac and studied their methods. This, combined with the knowledge he inherited, produces a spirit that represents the flavour and ripeness of the apple alongside the mellowness and warmth of a well-aged spirit. He also experiments with ageing in different-sized casks and oak types to ensure the flavours extracted through distillation are further enhanced during maturation.

Dupont is one of the best producers in the Pays d’Auge region and Calvados Dupont VSOP is a wonderful example of its kind.

No sugar or caramel added.