Made by: Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company

Made in: Broome Farm, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire

Style: Dry

ABV: 7.4%

Carbonation: Very Light (Bottle Conditioned)

Bought: Good Spirits Co. Wine & Beer, Glasgow

Price: £10.20 (750ml bottle)

Producer’s website: Ross-on-Wye Cider

We’re right in the heart of modern cider-making with this one, the much-hyped Raison d’Être from Ross-on-Wye Cider & Perry Company in Herefordshire. I never managed to taste the inaugural 2016 vintage version but it was one of most critically acclaimed ciders of last year. I’m thoroughly looking forward to see what all the fuss was about.

Founder Mike Johnson and his son Albert, along with chief Cidermakers John Edwards create a range of different ciders but cite Raison d’Être as the “quintessential expression” of their cider making, their flagship cider.

The bottle I have in front of me tonight – bottle 129 of 1,330 – is the 2017 vintage made from a blend of Dabinett and Michelin apples from the company’s own orchards. This latest vintage is slightly more heavily dominated by Dabinett than the 2016 version (apparently), which should make it a little spicier.

The bittersweet apples are wild fermented in oak casks, matured slowly and then bottle conditioned. The ingredients listing deserves mention for its clarity: 99.5% fermented cider apple juice, 0.5% sugar, trace sulphites. Simples.

TASTING NOTES, AFTER A FASHION:

In the glass it’s a slightly cloudy rich yellowy gold with traces of sediment in the bottle from the bottle conditioning. Despite the bottle conditioning the liquid is all but completely still.

On the nose it has a bit of that sharp fino sherry thing going on with lots of yeasty mustiness, some citrus lemon balm notes and a cloak of savoury smokiness.

On the palate it’s bone dry, fairly full and slightly tart. A crisp, elegant start gives way to a big wave of smoky tannins that add a savoury edge. There’s also a light spiciness from the Dabinett fruit, as expected, but there’s also something subtly tart-yet-sweet lurking in there too, maybe apricot. It has more in common with a good white wine than a cider.

The finish is smoky, sharp and drying. It’s a remarkable cider, no doubt about it, but it’s a cider that offers the drinker a challenge, something to think about and work with and contemplate. In that sense, it’s probably a cider for the connoisseurs and cider heads who are prepared to give it the time and respect it deserves. To get the best out of this one it needs to be treated like a fine wine – and that’s just fine with me.

4️⃣/5️⃣