Quebrada Del Chucao Cider 2015

Details

Quebrada del Chucao [Pron: Kay-brada del choo-cow] is a rare example of a bottle conditioned Chilean cider, crafted using the mthode champenoise, a process Diego Rivera favours for the deeper character and elegant, soft carbonation it imparts. All the bottles are turned and disgorged by hand. ‘Our style is a mix between Asturian and English cider, focusing on the dryer side of it. I think we have worked the aromatic side in a more interesting way than typical Spanish ciders, trying to avoid excessive oxidation while imparting a wilder, more complex aroma and flavour.’ This release from the 2015 harvest is a bone dry style with ripe, tangy, spiced apple and smoky aromas, crunchy freshness and balanced craft beer and animal notes. In the mouth there’s a terrific balance of fruit sweetness, savoury salty hints and mouth-watering freshness (derived from what Riverva estimates to be 50% of sharp/bittersharp varieties in the blend). But overall it’s dry, dry, dry and super intense. In terms of style, we’d put to somewhere between a West Country style and the sharp, tangy freshness of the Asturian style. But then there’s also a hint of Normandy farmhouse funk too. Heck, what do we know; it’s certainly a delicious,