Piterne is named for an old Norman legend, like a presence that lives in farms, presses and apple attics. It is a blend of two vintages of ciders, 2022 and 2023, with the apples from both years aged in the attic above the cider press and aging rooms for some time prior to pressing. The component from 2022 was aged until fully fermented for one year in a 400 litre Calvados barrel, still rich in Calvados tannins. It was then assembled with still fermenting juice from 2023 in a 50/50 assembly. It is the most powerful and intense drink in this collection. 7% ABV.

Julien Fremont is a cider maker of rare dedication, working from his family's ancient cidrerie in use since the 1750s. His process is entirely hands-on: apples picked late in the year are aged in a loft to intensify flavour, then pulped and pressed using a 1920s machine his grandfather bought, recently restored after catastrophic damage. Fermentation happens in various vessels before bottling at precisely the moment when gentle carbonation captures both the fruit's essence and its terroir.

The bottling setup resembles serious home brewing rather than industrial production, and bees nest in the roof above his bottle storage. It is difficult to imagine a place more removed from the soulless factories where bulk cider is made. The ciders are all from the 2023 vintage, except for Piterne, a newish cuvée which is always a blend of two different vintages.