2022 Cidrerie du Vulcain, Cider, Poire La Premoudiere

There is no one making perry quite like Jacques Perritaz. Working from the Domfrontais in Normandy — the spiritual home of serious poiré — he blends twenty-five traditional pear varieties, all hand-harvested from untreated trees, and lets the juice do exactly what it wants. Spontaneous fermentation, no disgorgement, natural carbonation in bottle. The result is as honest as it gets.

The 2022 is a beautiful vintage for this wine. The warm, dry season built real density and roundness into the fruit, giving La Prémoudière an unusual mid-palate richness — but the heritage varieties hold the line, keeping a bright, saline tension running all the way through to a clean, dry finish.

If you think of perry as cider's lighter cousin, this will change your mind. This is a serious, complex drink — closer in spirit to a great pét-nat or a natural Muscadet than anything from a supermarket shelf. Stunning with oysters, aged cheeses, or simply on its own.