Spirit France Diffusion wins IWSC 2025 Fruit & Nut Spirits Producer Trophy

Spirit France marks two centuries of Calvados craftsmanship with an IWSC trophy. 

Picture Normandy in autumn: high-stem apple trees heavy with fruit, bees at work among the blossoms, cattle grazing beneath. For 200 years, this landscape has shaped Spirit France's two iconic Calvados producers: Calvados Boulard and Calvados Lecompte. In 2025, that heritage was honoured on the global stage, as Spirit France Diffusion claimed the IWSC Fruit & Nut Spirits Producer Trophy. 
 
At the centre of the celebration is Masion Boulard's Cellar Master Sylvain Pluchard. After three decades with the house, he unveiled the “200-Year Anniversary Cuvée”, drawn from Boulard’s rarest stocks. “Every drop embodies the excellence we have nurtured since 1825,” Pluchard reflects. It’s a statement of continuity - Calvados distilled in the Pays d’Auge, double-distilled for aromatic finesse and aged patiently in oak. 
 
Boulard’s Calvados is rooted in traditional orchards where biodiversity thrives: pollinators in the hedgerows, livestock grazing under trees, and minimal intervention farming enriching soils. This approach is sustainable and ensures the wide variety of apple cultivars that give Calvados its layered complexity. Diversity in the orchard is both flavour insurance and climate resilience. 
 
Though proud of its roots, Boulard isn’t stuck in the past. The house experiments with cask finishes in rum, sherry and bourbon barrels, creating limited editions that appeal to modern palates while maintaining authenticity. It’s a way of showing Calvados in a new light, versatile, elegant and relevant to contemporary drinkers.

Spirit France's win comes not just from Calvados Boulard however, Calvados Lecompte was also a driving force in this achievement. Since its creation nearly a century ago, Maison Lecompte has pursued a quest for excellence.

Founded in 1923 by Alexandre Lecompte, the house has dedicated itself to crafting exceptional AOC Calvados Pays d’Auge. Alexandre's son later took the helm in 1945, installing the company’s first traditional still and setting the standard for the meticulous double distillation that defines Lecompte’s refined style today. Located in the heart of the Pays d’Auge, the house benefits from one of Normandy’s finest terroirs, with every stage of production, from apple harvesting to aging and bottling, carried out within 30 kilometres of the distillery.

That local focus is matched by a deep respect for the environment. Lecompte’s Calvados production naturally maintains a low carbon footprint thanks to the traditional Norman orchards that support biodiversity and store carbon. Hedgerows, high-stem apple trees, and the presence of pollinators create a self-sustaining ecosystem, while cattle and sheep grazing under the trees enrich soils and reduce the need for mechanical mowing. The house works closely with growers who limit pesticide use and increasingly adopt agroecological and biocontrol methods. By sourcing exclusively from orchards within the Calvados Pays d’Auge appellation, Lecompte ensures the highest quality and secures both environmental and flavour resilience, a model of sustainability and craftsmanship working hand in hand.

From Norman orchards to global recognition, Spirit France's win proves that tradition and reinvention can share the same glass.

Congratulations to Spirit France Diffusion.