Eden Specialty Ciders

Brut Nature 2018

Vermont

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Sparkling beverage aficionados know that “brut nature” is the classification used in champagne to indicate that a bottle is bone dry, bottled without residual sugar or dosage. Made from at least 14 heirloom and tannic apple varieties, Eden’s Brut Nature is bottle fermented and aged on the lees for at least 18 months. It is elegantly balanced with deep apple character, smooth tannins and well-integrated acidity. 

Orchard

Vermont is perfectly suited to support small family farms over a multitude of industries. About 40% of Vermont’s population regularly shops at farmers markets, and the State promotes micro-agriculture and craft production. It’s topography is key, as the steep hillsides that spring up from the landscape make industrial farming cost prohibitive.

Eden has about 4 acres (1000 trees) of holistically farmed trees, which borrows heavily on the work of biodynamics. Holistic management hinges on viewing the orchard itself as a living organism and promoting biological diversity. As Pucci describes, “they use natural pest deterrents like neem oil and Liquid Fish to cultivate active microbes and encourage orchard health. Admittedly, the yields are much less than you’d get from more conventional methods, but the juice is amazing, and the quality is a hallmark of Eden Specialty Ciders.”

Eden’s work wouldn’t be possible without a tight network of small farmers who grow beautiful heirloom fruit. There is a mutual dependency in these relationships, as Eden could not make their ciders without these apples, and the farms wouldn’t be commercially viable unless their heirloom varieties were fueling the passion projects of Eden. One major contributor is the historic, eco-certified Scott Farm, growing over 130 apple varieties over 36 acres. Most of the Kingston Blacks, which made up about a quarter of the Brut Nature blend, are grown in these orchards.

Cidermaking

The heirloom blend of the Brut Nature is largely responsible for it’s amazing texture. 25% of the blend is made up of Scott Farm’s Kingston Blacks, a variety with a historic lineage. As Dan Pucci describes in his seminal work American Cider: A Modern Guide to a Historic Beverage “the famed Kingston Black bittersharp is an old apple of British origin…and lends complex tannin and structure to ciders.”

After a primary fermentation in stainless steel, the Brut Nature undergoes a secondary fermentation in the bottle and rests on the less for at least 18 months. As with a Brut Nature champagne, no dosage is added and the cider remains bone dry.

Cider Apples: Kingston Black, Roxbury Russet, Esopus Spitzenburg, McIntosh, Dabinett, Yarlington Mill, Calville Blanc, Hudson’s Golden Gem, Orleans Reinette, Empire, Black Oxford, Blue Pearmain, Rhode Island GReening, Baldwin

Tasting Note

The Brut Nature is is elegantly balanced with deep apple character, smooth tannins and well integrated acidity. Ready to drink now as a celebratory aperitif with your favorite cheese.

Food Pairing

The texture, effervescence and deep apple flavor make the Brut Nature incredibly versatile at the table. Oysters, hard cheese, grilled fish, roast chicken and light preparations or pork spring to mind, but it can also handle things that are traditionally harder to pair with wine like asparagus or fish sauce.

Color

White

Appellation

Vermont

Farming

Eden has about 4 acres (1000 trees) of holistically farmed trees, which borrows heavily on the work of biodynamics. Holistic management hinges on viewing the orchard itself as a living organism and promoting biological diversity (think biodynamics without the witchcraft). Eden's work wouldn’t be possible without a tight network of small farmers who grow beautiful heirloom fruit. There is a mutual dependency in these relationships, as Eden could not make their ciders without these apples, and the farms wouldn’t be commercially viable unless their heirloom varieties were fueling the passion projects of Eden.

Alcohol

8.40%

Suggested Retail Price

$19.99

Trade Materials

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Brut Rosé

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Peak Bloom

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Deep Cut

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Eden Specialty Cider's uncompromising quality never ceases to impress, with the Harvest Cider line of canned ciders providing a new format of expression for the cidery. Apples are sourced from sustainable orchards, including Eden's estate orchards and their trusted neighbors from across Vermont and New Hampshire. As with their renowned bottled ciders, the Harvest Cider series never uses cold stored apples and is produced just once a year, shortly after harvest. No artificial sweeteners or additives are used, allowing the purest expression of the cider to shine (with one exception being the rose, which only adds red currants to achieve the color and pop desired). The result is a welcome addition to Eden's already impressive lineup - with convenient can packaging to explore the fastest growing format on the market today. Deep Cut is the driest cider of the lineup, with no residual sugar and an exciting, crisp character.