Created with limited means (2 vats of 11hl and 18hl, 1 bucket and 3 barrels), Ampelidae was founded in 1995 from Frédéric Brochet's passion for wine.
The Ampelidae project is unique in that it brings together 5 estates, 3 of which are exclusive: Manoir de la Mailleterie, the family estate from which Frédéric Brochet comes, Manoir de Lavauguyot, which served as the birthplace of the Ampelidae project, and Château des Roches, the magnificent and imposing estate that houses the main winery.
The Ampelidae estates are located in the south of the Loire Valley. The climate here is temperate oceanic, with a variety of limestone, flint and clay soils. Grape varieties have been planted to suit the soil types. Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon grow on sand and sandstone soils, while Pinot Noir and Chardonnay benefit from the very fine clays of the Lavauguyot slopes. These poor soils are a much sought-after rarity in the world of wine, as they are among the most prestigious in the world.
The great Loire wines produced by Ampelidae derive their prestige from this exceptional terroir, but they would not reach this level of quality without the right approach to enhance them. Frédéric Brochet opted for an approach that preserves and encourages biodiversity right from the start of the project: 0 residue certificates, active ingredients for sanitary protection (copper, sulphur, lithotam) used well below the specifications for organic farming, entirely organic fertilisation... and, of course, no synthetic chemicals at all. As far as plant material is concerned, the estate uses massal selections from vines grown on the estate since it became part of the Brochet family in 1809! In addition, the LPO organises bird monitoring and census activities on the estate, as does the Société Française d'Orchidophilie, which monitors the orchids on the estate every year.
In the winery, Ampelidae relies on innovation to preserve as much of the qualities of the raw material as possible, without rushing it or altering its character. Oxygen management, temperature control and sulphite management are essential principles in the creation of these great Loire wines. Night-time harvesting, gravity-fed vatting, heat exchangers, pneumatic presses under inert gas, temperature-controlled vats... technology is at the service of the identity of the terroir and the grapes. For certain cuvées, the wine is matured in barrels of varying temperatures to bring out the nuances in the wines.
Whether you're a lover of great wines or in search of "sure values," the wines of Ampelidae are unmissable among those of the Loire. A combination of innovation, technology and a healthy, respectful relationship with the terroir and plants, Ampelidae is a resolutely contemporary brand, impressive to all. Ampelidae offers a whole new experience of Loire wines, with cuvées that can be enjoyed on special occasions and that stand out for their distinctive style: "a letter, a grape variety, an enigma of taste."
