Authentic Perry - Eric Bordelet 2024
Éric Bordelet Authentic Perry 2024 is among the great French references of gastronomic perry. Former sommelier at L’Arpège, Éric Bordelet took over the family orchards in 1992 with the ambition to apply to apples and pears the same precision as that of great wines. Located in southern Normandy, at the borders of Mayenne and Orne, he works a twenty-three hectare estate planted with apple trees, perry pear trees, and service trees. His orchards rest on the Armorican massif, with schist and granite soils that give the cuvées remarkable freshness and tension. Authentic Perry 2024 embodies the most immediate and thirst-quenching style of the range, while maintaining a true demand for fruit and balance. It is a fine, light, and very refined cuvée, ideal for discovering the nobility of artisanal perry. It shows how a beverage made from fermented pears can reach a precision close to that of wine.
The Authentic Perry 2024 cuvée is made from a blend of perry pear varieties, selected for their aromatic complementarity, acidity, tannins, and natural freshness. Some sources mention fourteen varieties for this cuvée, including Plant de Blanc, Autricotin, De Cloche, or Champagne, while the estate cultivates more broadly about twenty varieties of pears. The fruits are hand-harvested, then blended, crushed, and gently pressed to preserve the purity of the juice. The ancestral natural fermentation takes place in tank or barrel, without chaptalization, respecting the fruit's own sugar. The 2024 vintage is only 4% vol., which enhances its airy, digestible, and very accessible character. Its semi-dry profile retains a natural sweetness, but the fruit's acidity perfectly balances the sensation of sweetness. The result is a precise, fresh, and delicately effervescent thirst-quenching perry, supported by a fine bubble and great aromatic purity.
In the glass, Éric Bordelet Authentic Perry 2024 reveals a pale, luminous robe, sometimes slightly golden depending on the vintage. The nose opens on ripe pear, fresh pear, white flowers, soft citrus, and a very delicate honeyed touch. The palate is fruity, lively, and gourmand, with a fine effervescence that brings a lot of lightness. The balance between natural sweetness, acidity, and freshness gives a very thirst-quenching sensation, without any heaviness. The finish is crunchy, slightly mineral, and persistent, with a very pure return of pear and white flowers. This perry should be served chilled, around 8 to 10°C, both as an aperitif and at the table. It will perfectly accompany seafood, oysters, ceviche, goat cheese, blue cheese from Auvergne, a thin pear tart, a lightly sweet galette, or a bitter chocolate dessert.
