The moment you enter our cellars, the smell asks you : should we remain silent and taste, or speak up and share?
Nestled in the heart of the Ornais bocage in Normandy, Maison Legay's history is actually the one about a family of distillers since 1920. Specializing in the production of old Calvados, cider and Pommeau, the Monnerie Distillery welcomes you in the Swiss Normandy, at Cerisy-Belle-Etoile, at the foot of Mont de Cerisy, for 3 generations. We are very attached to our environment, to our land characterized by hedges, meadows and orchards.
Our grandfather, whose first name is Constant, is at the origin of our future. This man, born in 1891, with a strong personality has always had a great appetite in life. His curious mind ahead of the time allowed him to acquire land, in order to plant many apple trees and be able to grow his own orchards and also develop a dairy activity.
Our father Rémy succeeded him in 1960 accompanied by his wife Suzanne, who very discreetly ensured the transition with her son.
Since 1988, Didier Legay, his grandson, supported by his wife Isabelle, has been working the land located in Cerisy-Belle-Etoile and perpetuating the tradition of making Calvados with the same still, more than a century old, which remains the faithful witness of our elders' life.
Today, our orchards extend over 13 hectares, on an acid and loamy soil with 2 types of orchards, traditional high stems where the cows can graze quietly below and low stalk orchards where the grassy grass is cut regularly.
We still have an agricultural activity including mixed crops and livestock farming with a milk workshop. Our two sons have returned to the farm with us, the fourth generation is assured.
How lucky we are to work as a family, it is a transmission from father to son with a fiber of "people of the earth" that cannot be explained. Each generation has shared its passion. This family wealth reflects the style and taste of our Calvados. Each calvados has its own personality, complexity and character.
Our Calvados age in French oak barrels to allow different exchanges between brandy, wood and air, and thus develop delicate and rich woody aromas of great qualities.
We have in our cellars a wide variety of Calvados, ranging from the most fruity to the woody. We invite you to our world where know-how and quality have been the concerns of our family since 1920.
We welcome you all year round in groups or individually for a guided tour of the Distillerie la Monnerie. We invite you to live an authentic experience to discover the production of AOC Calvados and to comme to our cellars which house century-old barrels. The visit is always provided by a manager of the domain in order to pass on real know-how to you.
Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Closed on Sunday and public holidays
