Cœur de Lion

Cœur de Lion is the line of Calvados by Maison Christian Drouin, a family distillery in Normandy that for three generations has poured passion, care, and a deep sense of tradition into crafting Calvados. This dedication has been rewarded with over 300 gold medals in competitions devoted to eaux-de-vie.

The story begins in the 1960s, when Christian Drouin Sr. purchased Fiefs Sainte-Anne on the hills of Gonneville, near Honfleur, a farm planted with cider apple trees. With the help of a renowned distiller from the Pays d'Auge, he began distilling his own cider and aging the Calvados in old Sherry, Port and Calvados casks. In 1969 his son Christian joined the business, steering it toward international markets and toward rarer, longer-aged Calvados. In the early 1990s production moved to a 17th-century farm in Coudray-Rabut, near Pont-l'Évêque, and since 2004 the third generation, with Guillaume Drouin, an agronomist and oenologist, has been leading the Maison.

The apples come from two family orchards between Gonneville-sur-Honfleur and Coudray-Rabut, with around thirty varieties ranging from bitter and bittersweet to sweet and tart; the Gonneville orchards are farmed according to organic standards. Harvested at full ripeness between September and December, the apples are gently pressed and the ciders ferment slowly before distillation.

For Calvados Pays d'Auge, double distillation is carried out in an alambic à repasse pot still, while maturation takes place mainly in small, often old casks that encourage exchange between wood, spirit and air: over time the aromas evolve from fresh apple to baked apple and finally dried fruit, enriched with floral and spicy notes. The Maison’s range also includes ciders, poiré, Pommeau de Normandie and gin.

Family tradition, estate orchards and the art of maturation make Cœur de Lion an authentic expression of Norman Calvados by Christian Drouin.