We are very glad to have wines arrive from Philippe Delmee in Faye d’Anjou, Loire. From across two different vintages: the cool, wet 2024 - yielding wines of real freshness and tension - and the sunnier 2025, with richer profiles in comparison.

From 2024 we have a thrilling edition of La Cane - his electric blend of Pineau d'Aunis, Grolleau Noir & Gris and a splash of Chenin, macerated for just 10 days, part aged in tank, and part in amphora. Its the kind of light Loire red we love best. La Lune returns as 100% Cab Franc, picked from across his parcels, a combination of whole bunch fruit macerated for 8 days blended with a portion from a 10 day de-stemmed maceration. The result is pure, long and complex - properly lovely stuff.

Les ch’nins on boit… Philippe’s oldest Chenin vines, from a parcel surrounded by forest with very little topsoil, just a little sand, and lots of schist on the surface. Pressed slowly, fermented and aged in large foudre and smaller barrels for 10 months. A parcel that yields very profound wines in these cooler years - very small quantities to go round of this one.

From 2025 we have the new Pablo est au Bar - Phil’s younger Chenin parcel (10–15 years old) with more clay over the degraded schist. Basket-pressed slowly, fermentation in fibreglass, aged in a large wooden vat. The 2025 edition of Lapinou is 100% Grolleau, dark fruited with a nice bit of structure, its an excellent expression of the variety.

Philippe farms a total of six hectares spread across 16 tiny parcels between Faye d’Anjou and Faveraye-Mâchelles, over porous-sand, lots of schist, and a little clay. Working organically, with biodynamic principles, Philippe works simply and gently in the cellar. Short whole bunch macerations for reds, slow direct-presses for his Chenin, wines are raised simply and bottled with no additions.