Flag Hill Farm Cyder Dry Sparkling Cider Vermont

Cider maker Sebastian Lousada of Flag Hill Farm in Vershire, Vermont, has been making ciders from his high-elevation organic orchard since the mid-1980s. Lousada dubs his drink “cyder,” an old-timey spelling that harkens to a time when all cider was hard, organic, and farmstead by default.

The apples are wild-fermented and bottle conditioned for sparkle; this cider is finished with cork. Amber gold with a minuscule bead, it’s slightly reductive at first, but with a swirl of air begins to breathe woodsy, autumnal notes, slightly earthy. Then the mousse blooms on the palate in flavors of walnuts, green olive, and brine. Solid acid and resounding tannins rinse the palate with a green tea squeak. Overall it’s a robust, moody cider, darker than the cidery’s Sapsucker bottling. It’s truly a mountain wine that tastes like earth, forest floor, late evening light.