Eric Bordelet is one of France’s most celebrated producers of fine cider and perry, bringing the precision and philosophy of great winemaking to the orchards of southern Normandy.

Before returning to his family estate in 1992, Bordelet spent years in the world of fine wine, most notably as a sommelier at the renowned Paris restaurant L’Arpège. That experience shaped a distinctive approach to cider making: one centred not simply on fruit, but on terroir, vintage and the individual character of different apple and pear varieties.

At Château de Hauteville in Charchigné, the estate encompasses 23 hectares of organically farmed orchards planted with cider apples, perry pears and cormes. The fruit grows over the ancient schist and granite soils of the Armorican Massif, with organic cultivation complemented by biodynamic practices to encourage purity and expression.

Bordelet treats apples and pears with the same seriousness a great vigneron gives to grapes. Different varieties are selected and blended for their sweetness, acidity, bitterness and structure, while individual cuvées reflect both their fruit and their underlying soils. His gastronomic bottlings, including Sydre Argelette and Poiré Granit, demonstrate just how complex, refined and age-worthy cider and perry can be.

The result is a collection that sits naturally alongside fine wine at the table: elegant, expressive and deeply rooted in its place of origin. Eric Bordelet has helped redefine what cider can be, transforming a traditional regional drink into something worthy of the world’s finest restaurants and cellars.