Calvados Pays d'Auge is an eau-de-vie made from apples (and sometimes pears) grown in the orchards of north-western France. It comes from a much more defined district than generic Calvados, as its catchment area takes in 290 parishes rather than the full 1550. These parishes are almost all within the Calvados administrative departement, making Calvados Pays d'Auge arguably the most authentic individual form of the spirit. Originally, a high proportion of Calvados from this area was made with pears – a tradition that survives today in Calvados Domfrontais.
Normandy is home to some of Europe's finest orchards, so there was a natural evolution to producing ciders and perries (and eventually eau-de-vie) derived from the fruit. The earliest records of cider distillation come from the 16th century, although it is likely that the practice was already widespread by then; cider production here is known to date back to at least the eighth century.
© Wikimedia/Harald Bischoff
In 1942, the ten key districts which made these brandies were each granted their own AOR (an appellation category reserved for spirits), as the name Calvados was being used for apple-based eaux-de-vie from all over France. In 1984, these ten AORs were combined to form the Calvados AOC in force today. There are strict regulations controlling both the use of the name Calvados and its production, most of which are more stringent and specific than their equivalents in the wine-related AOCs.
Modern Calvados can be made either from apples or pears, or a blend of the two. At least four weeks after the fruit is pressed, the juice is distilled in an alembic, via continuous distillation rather than in batches. The resulting spirit is then aged in barrels for a minimum of two years to develop more-complex flavors and a smoother mouthfeel. The alcohol level of the finished product must be at least 40%, and there is also a required minimum content of alcohols other than ethanol and methanol (400 grams per h/L). The effect of this latter requirement is to ensure that 'heavier' alcohols, which contain important flavor compounds, are not distilled out of the liquid in the search for greater alcoholic strength and purity.
There are 87 varieties of apple and 29 varieties of pear officially permitted for use in Calvados Pays d'Auge. Compared to everyday eating fruit, these varieties are very high in phenolic compounds and have low levels of acidity. Since 1997, the orchards have been required to be planted with a particular balance of high- and low-acid varieties.
There are two key methods of training the trees producing fruit for Calvados, the principals of which have a great deal in common with vine training. The relationship between the length of the trunk and the relative height of the branches is the main variable here, and may be either basse tige (trained low) or haute tige (trained high).
Calvados Pays d'Auge is one of two sub-categories of Calvados. The other is Calvados Domfrontais, which is made with a greater proportion of pears.
