OUR ART

SAVOIR-FAIRE

SELECTING THE CIDER

This step is crucial since the quality of the future Calvados Pays d’Auge depends heavily on the quality of the distilled cider. Our Cellar Master selects in secret proportions ciders from the four families of Norman apples: sweet, bitter-sweet, bitter and sour.

AN ARTISANAL
DOUBLE DISTILLATION

The alchemy of transforming cider into eaux-de-vie is a know-how passed down since 1945 from generation to generation of Lecompte Cellar Masters. It is made in our distillery, in the heart of the Pays d’Auge, in small traditional pot stills. Our Cellar Master and Master Distiller, Sylvain Pluchard, like a musician with his instrument, carefully tunes each still to extract only the “heart” of the distillate. For him, these selected eaux-de-vie are raw notes he will then have to put along the right scores.

EXCEEDING AGEING
STANDARDS

Following the distillation, Lecompte’s eaux-de-vie are transferred in French oak barrels. For this operation, Maison Lecompte only uses small barrels of 180 liters. The eaux-de-vie will sit and rest for many years or decades. Very slowly, with the touch of the oak barrels, each will evolve in their own singular way. Our cellar Master tastes all the barrels on a regular basis in order to monitor the most precisely possible their ageing. In his mind, the eaux-de-vie are set in motion to take place on the scores of Maison Lecompte.

BLENDING

Each of our Calvados Pays d’Auge is born of a blend of eaux-de-vie selected from the Maison’s barrel patrimony.

Our Cellar Master’s savoir-faire and intimate knowledge of each barrel allow him to select the right eaux-de-vie which, once blended, will perpetuate the complex and intense symphonies, true signatures of Lecompte calvados.

SYLVAIN PLUCHARD

For nearly a quarter of a century Sylvain Pluchard, as Cellar Master, has preserved the excellence of Lecompte Calvados Pays d’Auge.

With an intact passion and unparalleled savoir-faire, he bestows upon each of the Lecompte calvados an unique personality and character traits, but above all a family resemblance.