AOC Calvados

Calvados Pays d’Auge, Calvados, Calvados Domfrontais.

Three appellation areas have been drawn by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO).

All operations involved in making the eaux-de-vie have to be carried out within each of these geographical areas:
apple harvest, manufacture followed by distillation of the ciders.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée ''Calvados Pays d'Auge''

It is produced in the geographical area of the Pays d’Auge on slopes of shallow clayey-calcareous soil (in the Calvados département but also including a few borderland communes in the Orne and Eure).
The identified orchards comprise at least 20% of local varieties, 70% bitter or bitter-sweet varieties of apple trees and no more than 15% of sharp apple varieties.
Production methods are regulated from harvest to distillation.
This Calvados is the result of a double distillation (traditional copper still).
Aged for at least two years in oak casks.
Analytical and organoleptic inspection.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée ''Calvados''

This appellation covers a large section of Lower Normandy, a smallest one in Upper Normandy and a few borderland communes in the Mayenne, Sarthe and Oise.. The identified orchards comprise at least 20% of local varieties, 70% of bitter or bitter-sweet varieties of apple trees and no more than 15% sharp varieties.
Production methods are regulated from harvest to distillation.
Ordinary Calvados follows no compulsory distillation method but is mostly produced with a column still.
Aged for at least two years in oak casks
Analytical and organoleptic inspection.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée ''Calvados Domfrontais''

The apples and pears used are grown on the wetter granite soils of the Domfront area which includes communes mostly in the Orne but also a few in the Manche and Mayenne.
The identified orchards are planted with at least 15% perry trees (this proportion rising to 25% starting with the 2016 harvest).
The apple trees are planted with at least 20% of local varieties, 70% of bitter or bitter-sweet varieties and no more than 15% of sharp apple varieties.
At least 30% perry pears are added to the ciders for distilling. Production methods are regulated from harvest to distillation.
This Calvados is obtained by single distillation (column still).
Aged for at least three years in oak casks
Analytical and organoleptic inspection.