Cyprien Lireux Parcimonie 2022

Origin: Normandy, France
Apples: 50% sweet/bittersweet (Boudin, Douce Moen, Douce Coelinier), 25% very tart (Petit Jeanne and René Martin), and 25% very bitter (Frequin Rouge and Marie Menard)

Parcimonie means: “in small quantities, here and there, sparingly.” This vintage, comprised of many varieties, comes from several small orchards ranging from 30-50 years old. Hand picked apples from all across Normandy with a ‘high tailoring’ (‘haute-tige’), which is in contrast to ‘basse-tige’ which is often planted densely, with higher yields but also shorter lifespan for the trees and prone to diseases with the need for pesticides and irrigation and more bud removal.

At 24 years old, the business school graduate Cyprien Lireux senses a deep feeling of missing out on something in his life. His obsession in mind: to return to what has fascinated him and driven him since childhood, working with the land in his hometown, Normandy, France. Etienne Fournet, the cellar master of Domaine des Cinq Autels, turns Cyprien's dream into a reality while passing on his passion to him. It will be cider – something Cyprien had already experimented with alongside his father and grandfather – and it feels like the obvious choice. His closeness to nature, the terroir, and tradition shape his work with a philosophical approach.

Cyprien matures his apples for a month after harvest to achieve optimal maturity, reduce nitrogen levels, turn fruit starch into sugar, and develop some natural yeast! In the cellar, long maturation in wooden vats before pressing, with slow fermentation with native yeasts to fully express the aromatic potential of the fruits. Natural carbonation, and of course, no added sulfites or other additives. His passion does not stop him from making only Cider, but also Perry and other co-fermented wines. Thus, these gathered fruits continue to stay alive and testify in bottles of the heritage left by their ancestors.