Domaine du Fort Manel - Julien Frémont

Where ancestral Normandy meets the uncompromising soul of natural wine.

Julien Frémont is a towering figure in the world of natural cider, operating from his family’s historic estate, Domaine du Fort Manel, which has been in the family since 1759. Located in the heart of the Pays d'Auge, Julien manages 45 hectares of lush, polycultural farmland where cows graze freely beneath ancient "high-stem" (haute-tige) apple and pear trees. This traditional "pré-verger" system creates a self-sustaining ecosystem that has been farmed organically and biodynamically for years, far before it was fashionable.

A true "vigneron of the apple," Julien’s philosophy was shaped by his friendships with natural wine legends like Marcel Lapierre. In the cellar, he works like a winemaker: the fruit is crushed and the juice is moved by gravity into ancient oak barrels—some over 100 years old. Fermentations are 100% spontaneous with wild yeasts (levures indigènes), and he is one of the few producers in Normandy to work strictly without added sulfites, even at bottling.

The ciders of Fort Manel are famous for their "vinous" character. Unlike industrial ciders, these are often bone-dry, showing incredible depth, savory oxidative notes from the old wood, and a refined tannic structure. Whether it’s the mineral-driven Silex, the rounder Argile, or his legendary Brut par Nature, Julien Frémont’s cuvées are powerful expressions of terroir that challenge everything you think you know about cider.