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The Lecompte 1988 created by Cellar Master Richard Prével is hailed as Maison Lecompte’s most iconic vintage |
Premium spirits company Spirit France will present its portfolio of Calvados brands – Père Magloire, Boulard and Lecompte – alongside its Armagnac Le Marque range at the TFWA World Exhibition next month (stand number: Yellow Village D30).
On show from Maison Lecompte is the Calvados Lecompte 1988, created by Cellar Master Richard Prével and hailed as the distillery’s most iconic vintage. The year that Lecompte 1988 was distilled was also the year that he began his career as Cellar Master, making this 1988 batch significant for Prével.
Lecompte 1988 was produced using a small batch of apples that survived the storm of October 1987, which not only destroyed countless apple trees, but also blew much of the apple crop to the ground before it had reached maturity. The harvest was therefore very small, but the great diversity of medium-sized varieties and successful late harvests in late October and throughout November meant that the distillery was left with bitter and bittersweet apples of aromatic power.
From this batch 15 barrels of 225 litres were set aside for the creation of the Lecompte 1988, and several others were kept for a future blend. These French oak barrels were placed in Cellar D at the Lecompte distillery in Notre-Dame-de-Courson. The distinct conditions of this storehouse, which backs onto the hillside and is particularly humid but also well-ventilated with a stream running underneath, have resulted in the barrels that were stored on the shelf closest to the floor maturing in “a very interesting way”, Prével theorised.
On the nose, the Calvados Lecompte 1988 opens with bold notes of cooked apples, followed by the aromas of grilled almond and vanilla contributed by the oak barrels. These are soon inflected with a hint of candied orange and a touch of cinnamon. On the palate are flavours of cooked and caramelised apples, opening to reveal gingerbread and toasted bread notes, accented with subtle hints of coffee, chocolate and caramel. The finish sees the reappearance of ripe apple notes.
Prével explained: “Beneath the powerful aromas of cooked apple, vanilla and roasted almonds, you can make out subtle fragrances of candied orange, honey and even cinnamon in the 1988 vintage. I closely monitored and nurtured the development of this vintage, which takes me back to my childhood; the smell and taste of apples baking in the oven, lightly coated in caramelised sugar.”
Just 1,988 carafes of the vintage will be made available for sale, numbered from 1 to 1988. A handful of bottles will be transferred to the distillery’s reserve collection. It has a recommended retail price of €280.
Besides the Calvados Lecompte 1988, Spirit France will also present in Cannes 20cl formats of all four brands in its portfolio:
• Lecompte 5yo – A combination of the fruity lightness of the apples with the subtle touch of wood from the small casks it was first aged in
• Père Magloire VSOP – Embodying the traditions and heritage of Normandy since 1821, Père Magloire VSOP has a “deep enticing bouquet”
• Boulard VSOP – The result of blending different Cavados Pays d’Auge from 4 to 10 years old
• Le Marque VSOP – A combination of caramel, vanilla, candied fruits and prune
In addition, the company will showcase Extra, XO and VSOP from its leading Armagnac Le Marque range.
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Spirit France’s 20cl flask collection |
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The Armagnac Le Marque range featuring the Extra, XO and VSOP |
