Description
La Ferme d’Hotte, Grand Cidre “Boemius” Brut
We’re going to have some fun in 2023 and today’s “Cidre of Champagne” offer is the tantalizing launch pad. The remarkable La Ferme d’Hotte is just minutes from Montgueux, home to some of the most prized and dramatically unique Chardonnay vines in Champagne. Here, however, you won’t find grapes but pockets of apple orchards rooted in the region’s famed Kimmeridgian soil. This is no anomaly or gimmick: Cider, or cidre in French, has been crafted in this hidden pocket of the Aube for 500 years!
And while most farms have long since converted to grains or closed shop to try their hand in Champenois grape-growing, 10 still remain. One of those gems committed to upholding the cidre tradition is a tiny organic farm run by Théo Hotte, and we’re thrilled to showcase his finest Champagne-method bottling, “Boemius.” After blending together a delicious range of heirloom apple varieties, the fruit is gently pressed and the juices ferment naturally without any sulfur additions. Today’s top prestige cuvée then undergoes its second fermentation in bottle, and ages 2+ years before disgorgement. Just like fine Champagne, this is an age-worthy product that will beautifully evolve for many years to come! It is also extremely limited. First come, first served. Happy New Year!
NOTE: We expect this to arrive at our warehouse in the second week of January.
Although the delimited area of Pays d’Othe was once a region fueled by cidre, wars in the 20th century brought everything to a screeching halt. Populations were decimated and the overwhelming majority of orchards were ripped up for the production of staple foods. Alongside his father, fifth-generation farmer Théo Hotte has been fastidious, and perhaps maniacal, in replanting these lands. Since planting the first tree in the 1990s, everything has been carried out organically (now fully certified), meaning no synthetic chemicals have ever touched their orchards. They even go a step further by asking their immediate neighbors to do the same to prevent “blow-over” contamination. In the cellar, i.e. an old barn, it’s as rustic and charming as one would imagine. As their new importer says, “fashionable technology finds no purchase here.”
“Boemius” is Hotte’s top cidre bottling, crafted in the same manner as Champagne. For this, the family’s finest blend of apples are washed and crushed before undergoing spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel. Once transferred into bottle, Hotte adds an unfiltered, unfermented apple juice base—freshly pressed at their farm—and closes the bottle with a crown cap. This addition of pure, sweet juice kickstarts the second fermentation and generates the fine carbonation that we love in premium sparkling wines. After maturing in their cellar for no less than 24 months, the cidre is disgorged and a cork is fitted without sugar additions, sulfur additions, filtration, or pasteurization. This is genuinely premium, unadulterated sparkling cidre.
That being said, this is not a bone-dry cuvée. The second fermentation typically does not convert all of the natural apple sugars so about ~20 grams remain—but ample acidity and a low pH ensures this does not skew sweet! Like the magic act of great off-dry Riesling, it starts with a harmonious sweetness on the tip of your tongue and finishes savory and dry, with a touch of enjoyable “funk,” all while leaving your mouth watering. The mousse is soft and pleasing, lending a sleek, animated feel to the mid-palate. This bottle will continue developing savory characteristics over the next 3-5 years, but it’s firing right now! Serve in large stems around 50-55 degrees, open up a handful over a weekend, and watch your friends marvel at its delicious contents. Cheers!
