Where can I find a good Norman apple juice?

Apples are the most widely consumed fruit in France, far ahead of bananas and oranges, at 20 kg per household per year. The main apple-producing regions are Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Apple juice, on the other hand, is produced mainly in Brittany and Normandy, these two regions accounting for over 80% of the total.

Apples are generally cold-pressed, and the juice is obtained by extraction. The concentration of beneficial antioxidants is naturally higher when the juice is unfiltered. It can also be pasteurized to stabilize and preserve it. All of which merited a tasting.

Main markets for Normandy apples

Apple juice, highly prized in France, is not the only outlet for Normandy apples. The fruit is also drunk in the form of cider (Normandy cider has had a PGI since 2015), consumption of which is still strongly linked to the summer season and certain typical meals (Epiphany or Chandeleur...); pommeau de Normandie (AOC since 1991), an after-dinner wine most often consumed locally, unlike the renowned calvados (AOC since 1942), a brandy made from distilled cider aged in oak barrels.

Eight good places to find apple juice

Clos des Citots ❤

Martine and Gérard Lenormand and Adrien Rose manage 20 hectares of organically-farmed orchards in a beautiful, typical residence in the heart of the Boucles de la Seine Normande nature park. All stages of apple processing are carried out on site: apple and pear juices, eaux-de-vie, cider vinegar, ice cider (gold medal winner at the 2015 Vinalies), fruit juices and sparkling wines.

Tasting notes: An organic juice with a natural cloudiness, a beautiful cider color and a pleasant fruity nose. A lovely presence that asserts itself on the palate. A balanced juice, just a little sweet, but which evolves in the mouth like a cider, retaining its acidity and character.

• Price: 4.20 euros
• 165, route de La Mailleraye 76940 Heurteauville
• www.leclosdescitots.fr

Domaine de La Flaguerie, Les Vergers de Ducy

In 1990, Mathilde and René Petrich planted a 20-hectare orchard on part of the Domaine de la Flaguerie estate. The decision to produce organically was quickly made. Cider, organic apple juice, sparkling wine, pommeau, ice cider (a liqueur obtained by freezing apple must), calvados and medal-winning products are on sale online.

Tasting notes: Very clear, bright juice, fruity nose, interesting, a little buttery, pleasant and farmy. The fruitiness is well present on the palate, the attack on the acidity develops on the Petit Jaune variety, a good cider apple. A slightly sweet finish for an original, well-balanced product.

• Price: 6 euros
• Rue du Lieu Moussard, 14250 Ducy-Sainte-Marguerite
• www.lesvergersdeducy.fr

Ferme du Manoir du Val

Certified organic, Thomas and Marie Bourut, in the heart of Risle country, transform apples into rosé cider, ice cider, apple juice, pommeau, calvados and jam... not forgetting the traditional corme cidrée (a blend of apple, pear and corme). Visits by appointment to the cider house, orchards, cider museum and on-site tasting.

Tasting notes: An unfiltered organic juice with a brilliant appearance. The nose is classic, on the fruit, without too much intensity, and the palate is light, well-made, a little short, but full of frankness. A tender, discreetly aromatic juice that's easy to drink.

• Price: 3.20 euros
• 960, route du Val, 27410 Mesnil-en-Ouche
• www.manoirduval.fr

Les Vergers de la Gentilhommière

A 17th-century manor house adjoins the apple orchards, planted on 4 ha in 1997 and 1998. Certified organic, production is sold on site: apple juice, cider, apéritif de Normandie, calvados. Tours of the distillery and production workshops.

Tasting notes: The dark red color is intriguing, atypical and seductive. The nose is a little pale with hints of apple and almond. The palate is also quite original, with herbal, mentholated and licorice nuances. A well-made juice, original in appearance and flavor.

• Price 4.40 euros
• 30, route de Neufchâtel, 76660 Osmoy-Saint-Valéry
• www.gentilhommiere.net

Domaine des Hauts Vents

Since 1936, three generations of the Caboulet family have succeeded one another in apple-growing, with a cider mill now run by grandson Alain, who heads up 25 ha of orchards. The range is extensive: cider, ice cider, pommeau, apple juice, blackcurrant, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry...

Tasting notes: A beautiful cider hue with a slight cloudiness for this juice, very fruity on the nose, very pleasant, which is repeated on the palate, well acidulated, with a slightly doughy chewiness on the finish. A good, classic, consensual juice.

• Impasse des Hauts-Vents, 27670 Saint-Ouen-du-Tilleul
• www.hautsvents.com

La Ferme d'Apolline

Gaëlle and Marc, a couple in their thirties who are strangers to the world of agriculture, chose to set up in the Perche region in 2020. They have around thirty animals (sheep, goats, chickens...) as well as apple trees. They offer themed tours, and sell farm produce on site or at local markets.

Tasting notes: An organic juice with a well-presented cloudiness, providing chewiness and obvious concentration. The fruit is beautiful, very apple-like on the nose, with no flaws. The palate is a little less marked, quite dense, but neutral on the finish and civilized.

• Price: 3.50 euros
• La Mulotière, 61190 Tourouvre
• www.lafermedapolline.com

Manoir de Grandouet

This is the Pays d'Auge, and we know what we're talking about. Grandfather Yvon, the man behind the Manoir, was involved in the creation of a local producers' union in 1963 and the Route du Cidre in 1974; his son François became involved in AOC cider production, and now Stéphane and his wife have taken over the 28-hectare farm, which is certified organic, continuing a long family tradition. Open all year round.

Tasting notes: A limpid, brilliant juice with a beautiful cognac hue. The nose is well composed, quite rich, with hints of almond and pear. The palate is a little sweet, consensual, rather all-purpose, for a unifying apple juice that will appeal to the majority.

• Price: 3.60 euros
• Grandouet, 14340 Cambremer
• www.manoir-de-grandouet.fr

Fournier

In the land of the Dukes of Alençon, the Fournier family has been growing high-stemmed apple trees since 1943. The two brothers Jean-Pierre and Fernand Fournier now manage the estate: 130 ha of orchards, beehives for pollination, an organic range of 3 ciders (brut, doux, demi-sec), classic or rosé apple juice (from a pink-fleshed apple variety), sparkling apple and apple-pear...

Tasting notes: A rather original organic rosé that makes an impression visually. The nose is interesting, inspired by those beautiful bright-red apples you see on the shelves. The juice is slightly pearly, very acidic, a cross between juice and cider, surprisingly like a natural wine, favoring originality.

• Price: €2.90
• La Lentillière, 61320 Lalacelle
• www.cidre-fournier.com