Christian Drouin Vintage 2003 Les Millesimes Calvados

Elegant, mature, and deeply expressive, Christian Drouin Vintage 2003 Calvados captures the warmth of a standout harvest year with remarkable finesse. Concentrated yet refined, it offers layered orchard fruit, gentle spice, and polished oak—an exceptional vintage Calvados for contemplative sipping.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Produced by Christian Drouin, one of Normandy’s most respected Calvados houses, this 2003 vintage comes from a single distillation year, bottled as part of the Les Millésimes collection. The apples are sourced from traditional Norman orchards, blending bittersweet, bitter, and acidic varieties to achieve balance and aromatic complexity.

The 2003 growing season was notably warm, yielding ripe, concentrated fruit—ideal for long-lived eaux-de-vie. Fermentation is slow and natural, followed by distillation in traditional copper pot stills. The Calvados is then aged for many years in French oak casks, allowing oxidation, wood influence, and time to sculpt depth, texture, and elegance while preserving the vintage’s character.

Critics Reviews

Spirits critics and Calvados specialists consistently praise Christian Drouin’s vintage releases for their precision and sense of place. Reviewers often highlight the 2003 vintage for its ripe fruit profile and seamless oak integration, noting its balance between generosity and restraint. The Les Millésimes bottlings are frequently cited by spirits writers and tasters as benchmarks for vintage-dated Calvados.

Tasting Profile

Nose:
Baked apple, apple compote, and poached pear layered with vanilla, toasted almond, dried apricot, and subtle baking spice.

Palate:
Silky and concentrated, revealing caramelized apple, honey, dried fruit, gentle spice, and polished oak with a softly rounded texture.

Finish:
Long and elegant, with lingering orchard fruit, light nuttiness, warm spice, and a refined oak-driven dryness.

Quick Overview