Ampelidae

The Story of Ampelidæ

Ampelidæ was born on October 1, 1995 from the crazy idea of a wine enthusiast, Frédéric Brochet, who wanted his father's wine to be better known. He started to make his wine with a rather rudimentary equipment, in the family cellar of La Mailleterie. His equipment consisted of 2 vats of 11 and 18 hectoliters, surrounded by 3 barrels and a bucket!

In 2004, Frederic Brochet was joined by the owners of Château des Roches, Benjamin and Kate Meuli. In early 2020, Kate Meuli took over as president of Ampelidæ. The Meuli couple is Swiss and British. They had acquired the Château des Roches in 1990 and its restoration took them more than 20 years, respecting its historical and local origin. They then bought the 200-hectare Les Roches estate, which includes farmland, vineyards and woods, before joining the Ampelidæ adventure.

The Ampelidæ vineyard

Ampelidæ's ambition is to develop an organic wine, certified organic. The vineyard is treated with the greatest respect, avoiding sulfites as much as possible. Ampelidæ's vineyard is fragmented. It is divided into three large islands - Marigny, Vouzailles and Lencloitre - which extend around the village of Marigny Brizay. The vines take advantage of the last southern foothills of the Loire Valley to flourish.

The geological structure of the soil allows the cultivation of quite different grape varieties. However, some dominate: Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc.

Some of the wines of Ampelidæ

P.N. 1328 of Ampelidæ

P.N. 1328 is the first wine of Ampelidæ. Its strange name can be explained: PN stands for Pinot Noir and 1328 is the cadastral number of its original parcel. It is the only family parcel that has been preserved since the 19th century. It represents the symbol of the birth of Ampelidæ in 1995, after having been replanted in 1981 by Christian and Monique Brochet.

P.N. 1328 d'Ampelidæ is therefore made with 100% Pinot Noir. The wine is particularly fruity and its mouth is supple. It is a wine for keeping, but can also be consumed young. The P.N. 1328 d'Ampelidæ will accompany your escalopes with chanterelles and pheasant casserole.

The K of Ampelidæ

The letter K is used for the Kbernet. The K d'Ampelidæ is made from a blend of Cabernet Franc from the Saint-Emilion grape variety and Cabernet Sauvignon from a Medoc grape variety. The grapes are chosen in majority on the old vines. The wine is made after a long maceration and aging in new barrels from 12 to 18 months.

The K is the most powerful wine of Ampelidæ. It is particularly fruity and expresses the exuberance of the Cabernet Franc fruit. Its color is more black than red, with a dominant of black currant and a large part of red currant. The K is massive and velvety, to be served preferably at 17 °C, decanted one hour before. It goes well with game, especially wild boar, as well as pork entrecote.