Nohoval
Géraldine Javoy was born and bred in a vineyard in the Loire valley, France, so the process of vinification is second nature to her.
Coupled with the fact that she was one of the founders of Stonewell back in 2010, there was a certain inevitability that these experiences would blend into one.
Five years ago, she created the Tawny cider port which has a loyal following and garnered many awards at home and abroad. As Géraldine discovered more of the apple varieties grown in Ireland and experimented with them, the temptation to push the envelope further became irresistible. The wines she now makes are a fusion of Irish apples and Gallic flair.
Hear from the producer directly in the video below :
Tawny is truly special. It is a rich, opulent and viscous apple wine, dark in colour and possessing complex bittersweet flavour. Tawny can be consumed as a slightly chilled aperitif or it also performs excellently as an accompaniment to cheese or desserts.
This cider is created by chaptalizing the Michelin and Dabinett apple juice whilst it ferments. Raising the alcohol to 15%, the fermentation is arrested by the producer. This leaves residual sugars which encourage the development of highly complex favours during its minimum 12 months aging on lees.
When Geraldine considers the cider has reached maturity she passes it through dry hops. This final step before bottling adds additional flavour and counter balances the residual sugars remaining within the cider: which all goes to create an array of delightful aromas on the nose.
A still apple wine to be enjoyed at leisure and in moderation. The Tawny is produced in very small quantities, in the order of 3,000 litres a year.
MADE IN IRELAND
Ice cider originates from Québec in Canada. It is an ice wine made using apples instead of grapes. In 2005 Quebec established a standard for the fermentation of a quality ice cider. It states that the apple juice used to make ice cider must be concentrated with the help of a naturally occurring cold; in other words, to make ice cider you need a long period of freezing temperatures to help concentrate the juice.
Clearly Geraldine wasn’t going to achieve that in Ireland so she sought out a partner with whom she could achieve the desired result. Andreas Sundgren is a Swede who established Brannland Cider in Umeå on the Baltic coast in the sub-arctic. Experts in ice cider, she asked Andreas, to press apples, concentrate the juice using Sweden’s natural climate, ferment and then ship it to her. And then the aging begins, she takes the fermented must and rests it on American oak to add the final touch to this finished product.
This cosmopolitan, well-travelled and rich ice cider has a light golden colour and brilliant clarity. On the nose you can find characteristics similar to the aroma of a forest floor with touches of grassiness, walnuts, browned butter and toffee. The palate reveals a sweetness balanced by juicy and tart elements with a long-structured finish. This can be aged, or enjoyed straight away! It has a very modest 9% ABV.
Nohoval’s Arctic Ice Cider is an excellent accompaniment for cheese, dessert or simply enjoyed on its own.
MADE IN IRELAND (& SWEDEN!)
This apple wine is made of Dabinett bittersweet apples grown in county Waterford. The juice is slow fermented over a 4 month period attaining a final alcohol by volume of 15%. Attenuation is reached and none of the original fresh juice sugars remain. The wine is drawn off its lees for aging.
Muscadet barrels selected from the renowned Chai Haute-Ville are used for storing the wine. It resides in the barrels for a minimum of 2 years during which time the coarser freshly fermented notes are softened and complimented by rich oak flavours, creating great depth and character. The bottled apple wine possesses a delicate nutty flavour, with a hint of spice and pronounced tannic apple note; providing a long and subtle finish.
This apple wine is best consumed ambient but certainly no colder than cellar temperature to fully appreciate all that it has to offer.
MADE IN IRELAND
Elstar is made exclusively from the Elstar apple variety harvested from a single estate in County Waterford. This is an acid forward cider, crisp with some light summer fruits and citrus on the nose.
An ideal accompaniment for fish or a summer aperitif.
