Our first shipment of Philippe Germain’s Cep by Cep wines dates to the 2014 vintage and the wines became an instant hit with our restaurant clients, which they remain to this day. Since then, the project has gone from strength to strength. With Phillipe Germain’s la Roulerie vineyards now contributing the lion’s share of the fruit, each vintage sees a further layer of quality added to wines that showcase the vibrant and racy Germain style. In the vineyards, Germain’s ethics and work are a chip off the old block and managed only according to organic principles, with hand-harvesting, minimal intervention, etc., being the norm.

For those new to this producer, the wines come from the Anjou-based, micro-négoce started by Philippe Germain with his brother, Thierry Germain (of Roches Neuves fame) acting as a consultant. Thierry is no longer involved with the project, though the wines have not missed a beat.

There are three wines in the range. The Chenin Blanc comes from 100% hand-harvested fruit which was organically grown in Rochefort-sur-Loire, just south of the river and opposite Savennières. Unlike the Germain vineyards in Saumur where limestone dominates, the vineyards of western Anjou are influenced by the schist-rich, volcanic soils of the Massif Armoricain. It’s this type of rock that imparts a pungent, stony bite to the dry Chenin of the area. The corresponding red is 100% Cabernet Franc, hand-harvested from vines rooted in gravelly, shale soils in western Anjou. The idea here is for a fun, lively, no-nonsense 'vin de soif', made to be enjoyed young while vibrant and fresh.

Finally, there is a wonderful ‘sticky’, a Coteaux du Layon cropped from Philippe Germain’s estate vineyards in the heart of the Layon Valley, at Rochefort-sur-Loire. Unusually for the Loire, the clay and schist-rich soils here are cut into an amphitheatre of terraces. Compared to much of the appellation (and especially the wines of the Layon Crus of Bonnezeaux, Chaume and Quarts de Chaume) this wine showcases the more delicate, almost Germanic style of Layon.