Eric Bordelet Calvados

‘Eric Bordelet acquired this unique cask, dating to 1982, from his neighbors, the sons of an esteemed local distiller who’d recently died. Nut brown in color, the aromas are especially intriguing: bright, dusty, nutty, and reminiscent of old sherry – but as if the sherry had strangely been made with apples. As it develops, serious rancio notes of antique furniture and grilled walnut emerge. In the mouth, there are dark flavors of burnt sugar, coffee, tar, and grilled apple, and a powdery minerality that carries through the finish. A nonesuch spirit, though some purists will wonder, “Is it Calvados?” It is. (AOC Calvados, 42% abv.)’ Jason Wilson, Vinous, November 2018.