Cormé is a 15th century beverage mainly present in the former province of Maine. It was considered a fruit wine, that is to say a fermented beverage made with any plant that could produce a fermentation. The Cormé was the first fermented fruit wine produced from corms. These fruits come from the tree named Cormier also known as Sorbus Domestica. The name of Cormé came from the Gallic "Curmi" which designated a fermented beverage, such as beer. It is the only wild tree that produces consumable fruits in large quantities but small!!.
Cormé was produced from the 15th century until the 1950’s. It served primarily as a family beverage in the province of Maine, in Mayenne and Sarthe in particular. Fruit wines such as cider, perry or cormé were consumed undiluted or in most cases cut by water, especially among the poorest populations. It was considered less harmful to health than wine made from grapes. The corms were used alone but also mixed with other fruits such as apples or pears. They also added corme juice to drinks like cider or wine and used cormes to produce an “eau de vie”.
Picked at a potential alcohol of 8/10% but stopped at 6/8% to result in 30g/L residual sugar (natural)
We are excited to present our annual offer of Eric Bordelet’s delicious artisan ciders from his old-growth, biodynamically farmed heirloom orchards in Normandy. This time around, we have a new one that we have never offered, Corme, which is made from crab apples. We love telling the story of how Eric became the de facto master of great cider. In the early ‘90s, he was a sommelier at l’Arpege in Paris before moving back to the countryside and taking over the family farm. He drew inspiration and mentorship from the late great Didier Dagueneau while quickly becoming a fantastic talent at this craft. His Sidre “Tendre” is an excellent introduction to his sparkling apple ciders, very gently off-dry with tons of purity and apple charm. I found a tendre in my cellar from a few years back, and it was still delightfully good. His “Argelette” takes it to the next level and is his top apple cuvée that is bone dry with a finer effervescence from a selection of his oldest apple trees on very stony soil and has been the finale for many dinners at home. The Poire ‘Granit’ for our palates is the best cider we’ve ever tasted, and it is reaffirmed every year. It comes from 300-year-old pear trees that have grown 60 feet in height, from a small parcel that has never been treated chemically, and produces a cider with acidity, finesse, and complexity that are almost reminiscent of grower Champagne. Finally, the Corme, made from fruit from the Cormier tree that is similar to crab apples, is the newest addition and the most vinous of the Ciders here, replicating a traditional style that dates back to the 15th century which was popularized in the French province of Maine. Alcohols range from 4% to 8%, and all come in 750ml bottles. These are incredibly delicious and refined ciders crafted by a master artisan and have always been a massive hit, especially for the holidays. These typically sell out very quickly, so order as quickly as possible!
Eric Bordelet Cormé (Crab Apple) 500ml
Eric Bordelet Cormé (Crab Apple) 500ml
Cormé is a 15th century beverage mainly present in the former province of Maine. It was considered a fruit wine, that is to say a fermented beverage made with any plant that could produce a fermentation. The Cormé was the first fermented fruit wine produced from corms. These fruits come from the tree named Cormier also known as Sorbus Domestica. The name of Cormé came from the Gallic "Curmi" which designated a fermented beverage, such as beer. It is the only wild tree that produces consumable fruits in large quantities but small!!.
Cormé was produced from the 15th century until the 1950’s. It served primarily as a family beverage in the province of Maine, in Mayenne and Sarthe in particular. Fruit wines such as cider, perry or cormé were consumed undiluted or in most cases cut by water, especially among the poorest populations. It was considered less harmful to health than wine made from grapes. The corms were used alone but also mixed with other fruits such as apples or pears. They also added corme juice to drinks like cider or wine and used cormes to produce an “eau de vie”.
Picked at a potential alcohol of 8/10% but stopped at 6/8% to result in 30g/L residual sugar (natural)
We are excited to present our annual offer of Eric Bordelet’s delicious artisan ciders from his old-growth, biodynamically farmed heirloom orchards in Normandy. This time around, we have a new one that we have never offered, Corme, which is made from crab apples. We love telling the story of how Eric became the de facto master of great cider. In the early ‘90s, he was a sommelier at l’Arpege in Paris before moving back to the countryside and taking over the family farm. He drew inspiration and mentorship from the late great Didier Dagueneau while quickly becoming a fantastic talent at this craft. His Sidre “Tendre” is an excellent introduction to his sparkling apple ciders, very gently off-dry with tons of purity and apple charm. I found a tendre in my cellar from a few years back, and it was still delightfully good. His “Argelette” takes it to the next level and is his top apple cuvée that is bone dry with a finer effervescence from a selection of his oldest apple trees on very stony soil and has been the finale for many dinners at home. The Poire ‘Granit’ for our palates is the best cider we’ve ever tasted, and it is reaffirmed every year. It comes from 300-year-old pear trees that have grown 60 feet in height, from a small parcel that has never been treated chemically, and produces a cider with acidity, finesse, and complexity that are almost reminiscent of grower Champagne. Finally, the Corme, made from fruit from the Cormier tree that is similar to crab apples, is the newest addition and the most vinous of the Ciders here, replicating a traditional style that dates back to the 15th century which was popularized in the French province of Maine. Alcohols range from 4% to 8%, and all come in 750ml bottles. These are incredibly delicious and refined ciders crafted by a master artisan and have always been a massive hit, especially for the holidays. These typically sell out very quickly, so order as quickly as possible!
