Poiré millésimé 2024 - 33cl - "Prémices" - Cyprien Lireux

"Prémices" means the first fruits. A 2024 vintage perry by Cyprien Lireux, who works on the border of the Orne and the Calvados, in Normandy.

The pears come from haute-tige pear trees — tall, widely spaced trees of the kind planted before mechanisation, which take years before they give anything. They are picked by hand, matured in wooden crates, then pressed. Fermentation runs slowly on native yeasts, and the sparkle develops in the bottle. No additives, no sulphites. Nothing else.

Perry is one of the most delicate drinks in Normandy, and one of the rarest. This one has a fine sparkle and a nose of fresh pear, white flowers and white-fleshed fruit, with a dry, clean finish.

At the table: aperitif, fresh goat's cheese, fruit desserts, white fish. Serve well chilled.

33 cl bottle. Organic, Normandy.