Ross-on-Wye Tardive Forestier 2019
Ross-on-Wye Tardive Forestier is a fabulous, rare bone dry single variety cider that–if you are lucky enough to try it–you will not forget. With its multiple layers of notes, Tardive Forestier makes for a complex and characterful structured cider.
Tardive Forestier at glance
- Region: Herefordshire, England
- Alcohol: 5.3%
- Style: dry, still
- Vintage: pressed in 2019, bottled in 2022
- Apple varieties: Tardive Forestier 100%
Tasting Notes
- See: transparent, mild traces of carbonation, burnt orange colour, almost light amber
- Smell: tannic apple, with smoky notes, reminiscent of smoked sausage
- Taste: bone dry, medium high tannins, medium acidity; smoky notes to the palate, with fierce bitterness, yet still lively. Long finish with surprising notes of pine tree resin.
Notes from the producers
Tardive Forestier, whilst widely recommended in the 1930s, is not found in many farms today, and detailed information on the variety is scarce. Here, even 28 months of maturation later, they flavour retains a fierce bitterness, with hints of coriander. This is almost certainly the only single variety Tardive Forestier in the entire world, and almost certainly the only one that has been made for decades. Even with its strange individual taste, to us, that makes this bottle pretty special.
Personal Notes on Ross-on-Wye Tardive Forestier
This is the first time I tasted a single variety made using the Tardive Forestier apple variety and I had no idea what to expect–and even if I had, I would have still been surprised.
This is an incredibly complex cider that demands patience to understand, with layer upon layer of flavour that keeps you guessing throughout.
From the first sniff, notes of tannic apple and smokiness present. On the palate, Tardive Forestier maintains its character but with less smokiness than the aroma suggests.
Once it warms up a little, notes of orange appear and, if you take your time, you will be able to catch balsamic and bitter notes, a couple of seconds you have had a sip. For me these notes invoked childhood memories of resin from the pine trees in the Alps.
Tardive Forestier is a type of cider apple that is rarely found and it is even rarer to find single variety ciders made with it. So if you are lucky enough to find a bottle of Ross-on-Wye Tardive Forestier, treasure it,take your time in the tasting and savour it at your own pace–The more I drink this cider, the more I want to learn about it.
Food pairing
Tannic ciders like Tardive Forestier go well with rich and fatty foods: a cheese board or a bechamel rich lasagna. Personally, I tasted Ross-on-Wye Tardive Forestier with some semi-soft goat cheese and it was fabulous.
