AOC Pommeau

From October to late November, The cider apple crop is gathered and stored in a dry place. The ripened fruit is pressed to obtain the pomace with a maximum yield on pressing of 750 litres pomace per metric ton of fruit.
Until February 15th of the year following the start of the harvest, the Pommeau de Normandie or Pommeau de Bretagne is matured by mutage of the pomace respectively with appellation contrôlée Calvados or Brittany apple brandy, matured for at least a year in oak casks after distillation and containing at least 65% alcohol by volume.
The mutage is completed in one operation respecting the proportions of roughly 3/4 pomace and 1/4 brandy. The two ingredients should be mixed well during the first few weeks.
The strength must reach somewhere between 16% and 18% alcohol by volume by the time the Pommeau comes up for analytical and organoleptic testing.

Ageing

The Pommeau must be matured in oak barrels for at least 14 months before coming before the INAO tasting panel to obtain a certificate of approval needed to put in on the market.

It must then offer a balance of bitter and sweet flavours, and the characteristic colour and taste that goes with each appellation.

Pommeau de Normandie or Pommeau de Bretagne cannot be approved until it has been kept in the bottle for at least thirty days.