Producer: Eric Bordelet

It is often said that cider is a traditional beverage, but in the hands of Éric Bordelet, it becomes a quest, almost a statement. A former prestigious sommelier, who worked at France's most Michelin-starred restaurants, including L'Arpège in Paris, Éric Bordelet traded glasses for trees in 1992, taking over the family estate of Hauteville, in Charchigné, on the borders of Normandy and Mayenne. Armed with a degree in oenology from Beaune and an unwavering passion for fine wines, he made it his mission to make cider a noble terroir product, worthy of the finest tables.

Driven by a deep respect for his land, he proudly champions the identity of Maine, often overlooked in favor of its neighbors. Ciders, perries, cormes, and even Calvados: each cuvée is the result of careful thought, high standards, and a unique perspective on the region's historical and geological richness. And with cormé, a rare alcohol made from service berries, he rehabilitates an almost forgotten drink, a symbol of his commitment to an ingrained rural culture.

Terroir, parcel and grape varieties

The Domaine d'Hauteville rests on the ancient shales and granites of the Armorican massif, locally called "argelette." These poor, demanding soils give the orchards a subtle minerality, which marks each bottle. On 23 hectares, more than 30 varieties of apples, 20 of pears, and about ten service berries coexist. These plantations, started in the 1990s, offer remarkable biodiversity, an essential basis for vibrant and nuanced production. The Château d'Hauteville, ruined but majestic, overlooks the orchards and now houses the winery, cellar, and family home. A place where the past dialogues with the present.

Cultivation methods

Convinced that good fruit makes good cider, Éric Bordelet cultivates his orchards biodynamically for the soils, with organic certification for the trees. He follows the rhythm of the seasons, the lunar cycles, and ensures the health of his lands without ever rushing them. The harvest, exclusively manual, takes place from September to December to allow for optimal ripeness. This care given to each fruit, this constant dialogue with nature, is at the heart of his philosophy: working with life, never against it.

Winemaking

Once harvested, the fruits are coarsely crushed, before a more or less long maceration phase depending on the cuvée and the vintage. The pressing, very gentle, is done on a belt press, so as not to rush the material. The fermentations are natural, driven by indigenous yeasts. No additions: the effervescence occurs in the bottle, with the sugar naturally present in the fruit. From sweet to brut, the cuvées vary according to the fermentation time. After bottling between January and April, the bottles wait in the castle cellars, before setting off to conquer palates worldwide.

Tasting & pairings

Éric Bordelet's ciders and perries are not just drunk, they are discovered. Their finesse, balance, and energy bring them close to great white wines, with which they share the same concern for elegance and tension. Each fruit tells its story, each vintage a season. Served in a wine glass and not in a bowl, as Éric likes to remind us, they accompany a briny fish dish as well as a sharp cheese, white meat, or a rustic tart. Exported as far as Japan or Chile, they appeal to lovers of sincerity, finesse, and wines... without grapes.