Château de Lézergué Cidre Artisanal 33cl

Cidrerie du Château de Lézergué is based in Ergué-Gabéric, Cornouaille, Brittany, France and managed by three brothers, Guillaume, Matthieu and Joseph since 1990. It’s my first time trying anything from this cider maker. 
Company: Cidrerie du Chateau de Lezergue
Place of Origin: Ergué-Gabéric, Cornouaille, Brittany, France
Apples: locally grown cider apples
ABV: 4.5%
Package type: 330ml clear glass bottle with crown cap
Recommended type of glass: white wine glass or chalice glass

Appearance: pours a clear pale amber with a large white head that quickly reduces to a ring. Medium to high carbonation. Body is medium.

Aroma/Nose: the nose is moderately strong and has notes of apricots, sour red apples, raisins, caramel and hints of wood.

Taste: the first impression is medium sweet with a low to medium lemon-like acidity, which gives way to notes of low smokiness, red apples, apple juice, apricots, caramel and other dried fruits. Finishes with a light astringency and caramel with a touch of lemon, grapefruit-like bitterness, wood and fig.

Overall: I must say that Cidrerie du Château de Lézergué has created a very pleasant cidre. It has typical notes for French cider with a good level of acidity that beautifully balances out the initial sweetness and therefore doesn’t give you any sugar high. It’s a decidedly moreish cidre for everyone. I really couldn’t find anything to complain about. I’d only wish it would be available in my area. Summarizing, a very pleasant everyday cider that will go well with galettes and cheese. I would definitely buy more. 5/6

Availability: mainly in France.

Price: a sample of this cidre was provided by Lucian from Cidrerie du Château de Lézergué.

Cidre Le Kerné

Cidrerie Kerné is a successful family business founded by Pierre Bosser in Pouldreuzic, Brittany in 1947. Since Pierre Bosser in his previous job as a wine distributor has developed a good distribution network, it allowed him to grow the cider company in no time. In 1977 his son Yves and daughter Michèle took over, and today Pierre’s grandchildren, Gérard, Anne and Claude run the ciderie. Currently they produce 15.000hl / year of cider and apple juice, which makes around 1 million bottles per year.

Today I’m reviewing their Le Kerné, which has received a gold medal (Medaille d’or) from the French ‘Concours Général Agricole’ in 2014.Company: Cidrerie Kerné
Place of Origin: Pouldreuzic, Brittany, France
Apples: a blend of apples coming from Brittany
Sweetness as per label: brut
ABV: 4.5%
Package type: 750ml amber glass champagne corked bottle
Recommended type of glass: white wine, flute or boleé

Appearance: pours a cloudy pale amber with orange hues and white frothy head, which quickly dissipates. Carbonation is medium.

Aroma/Nose: the aroma simply explodes from the bottle once you pop the cork. The nose is rich and has notes of leather, barnyard, fermented and overripe red apples, fresh apple juice, dried apricots with a hint of wood and vanilla.

Taste: it starts moderately sweet with high astringency and low acidity. Smoked cheese, fresh red apple, some funk, a hint of bitterness on the mid-palate. The aftertaste is dry and tastes of fresh, pressed apple juice with vanilla, but also has lingering notes of barnyard, beeswax and leather. When you think it’s over, a delicate astringency occurs.

Overall: taking a sip of cidre Kerné is like listening to a well-conducted symphony orchestra. It’s well balanced, with a good set of flavours that linger on and on. Cidre Kerné tastes delicious and has a good level of sweetness. It’s a cidre to appreciate, to celebrate with, or just an evening companion. I would buy more. 5/6 

Availability: from their online shop. In Berlin from Monsieur Collard located in the Markthalle Neun or from Maitre Phillipe et Filles. Through Roi de Bretagne in France or Wittich in Switzerland.

Price: Maitre Phillipe et Filles in Berlin at 4.95 EUR.