Julien Delrieu was the driving force behind a project founded in 2010 by three friends around the simultaneous purchase of 15 hectares of vineyards near the Layon river in the heart of the Anjou. They immediately went about converting the vineyards to organic farming, all the while honing there winemaking style and creating single cépage cuvées. The vineyards range in age from 25-60 years old and favor traditional Anjou varietals, Chenin, Cabernet Franc, Grolleau and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon. There are a variety of soil components throughout the vineyards, but schist, limestone and clay dominate, as would be expected in this region.
The three partners decided to go their separate ways prior to the 2017 vintage which was subsequently destroyed by spring frosts. Each partner kept his share of the vineyards and struck out on his own.
The cellar techniques are fairly traditional with the addition of some skin maceration on the white wines and minimal use of sulfur. The goal here is to let each varietal and vineyard site speak for themselves and to use only a small touch of sulfur to maintain freshness and balance. The result is wines that show both crisp acidity and brilliant focus and tension without being too wound up. Delicious wines that have a clear sense of place from whence they came. | 