Ampelidae vente aux encheres: 30th April 2017 + Portes Ouvertes: 29th/30th April

Ampelidae's annual auction is on Sunday 30th April starting at noon. Also Portes Ouvertes Saturday and Sunday for this large domaine near to Poitiers. 

Details of the auction here. Auction is to raise money for a local school.

Some of the designs selected for this year

Ampelidae – an update

Frédéric Brochet, founder and dynamic, driving force of Ampelidae 

I have covered Ampelidae in Haut-Poitou on several occasions on both Jim's Loire and Les 5 du Vin, so time for an update as the story has now moved on. Sadly it now includes Les 5 du Vin's midwife – Pierre-Jacques Druet.

My initial post was during the harvest of 2013 and focused on the decidedly fraught negociations with the rapidly sinking Cave de Haut-Poitou. At the end of March 2014 Ampelidae took over the bankrupt co-operative. Ampelidae has taken over one of the co-op's old premises in Neuville-de-Poitou (see below) and some equipment from the other facility in Neuville has been moved to Ampelidae's winery facility at Château des Roches.

Late September 2013: The shop + one of the winery facilities for the co-op
in Neuville-de-Poitou

6th October 2016: same premises under the Ampelidae colours 

 
Late September 2013 the closed main winery of the Cave du Haut Poitou
(above and below)

6th October 2016: demolition of winery to make way 
for new Lidl supermarket and other shops

Existing Lidl shop opposite new site 

In addition to absorbing the bankrupt Cave de Haut-Poitou and many of its members, this year Ampelidae has moved into Touraine taking over Pierre-Jacques Druet's bankrupt domaine in Benais (Appellation Bourgueil) as well as also taking over from bankruptcy the Touraine and Montlouis holdings of the Clos du Porteau based in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher (Aynard de Clermont-Tonnerre family). The Ampelidae will be making the 2016s at both of these properties. Ampelidae also makes the wine for Levin, which is owned by UK hotelier and restaurateur David Levin, close to Montrichard (Touraine).

The disappearance of the highly reputed Pierre-Jacques Druet as a vigneron is particularly poignant as it was his singular Bourgueil Rosé that gave the impetus to the creation of Les 5 du Vin in 2010 during a lunch in the press office at the Salon des Vins de Loire in Angers – a sad end for a very talented producer but poor businessman.

Some of the stock of Druet's Bourgueil

S

When Ampelidae took over Druet they inherited 80,000 bottles of Bourgueil of various vintages. Last Thursday I tasted several of Pierre-Jacques' Bourgueil and overall I was disappointed as they were not at the level that I have always associated with Pierre-Jacques' wines.

I was not really impressed by the entry level 2007 Cents Boisselées from a difficult vintage and also the 2000 Grand Mont – again not the easiest vintage – unlike Bordeaux – due to rain during the vintage. But most disappointing was the 2010 Vaumoreau, whose initial attractive fruit soon disappeared into a dry finish. The Vaumoreau has only just been bottled, so perhaps it has lost some of its fruit during the long delay before bottling – nearly six years after the vintage. Perhaps Druet just couldn't afford to bottle this wine. I can hope that the 2010 Vaumoreau is suffering from bottle shock following its recent bottling. Here's hoping!

It is Brochet's ambition to at least restore Druet's Bourgueils to their past glories and aim to go beyond this. This is perhaps Frédéric's most high profile challenge to date!

As well as tasting some of the Druet Bourgueils I also tasted a range of other wines in the Brochet stable. There are three main ranges – Marigny-Neuf, Brochet and Ampelidae. Marigny-Neuf is the entry level from 7€ retail from the domaine with the emphasis of varietal fruit. With Brochet the emphasis is on terroir, with prices ranging from 11€ for the Sauvignon Fie Gris to 29€ for the Quarts de Chaume Grand Cru made from fruit bought from Château de Suronde, which has recently changed hands. Ampelidae takes the top rank as 'Grands Vins' with prices ranging from 18€ for Le S (Sauvignon) and Le K (Cabernet up to 75€ for the the 2009 PN 1328 (Pinot Noir from a single plot) and 2005 Le K. 

The following wines stood out: the 2015 Marigny-Neuf made from a blend of Gamay, Cabernet and Pinot Noir – 50% direct press and 50% Saignée, 2014 Ampelidae Le S, 2014 Pinot Noir Marigny-Neuf, 2014 Ampelidae PN 1328 – although it needs more time in bottle. Over lunch we drank the 2012 Ampelidae PN 1328, which was impressive, as well as the aromatic and precise 2015 Lavauguyot, one of the 11 Crus of the Vienne – all Sauvignon. These are sold at auction – the 2016 version was held on 30th April. 

 Part of the winery at Château des Roches 

 Frédéric is keen to keep his finger on 

how the vintage is progressing.....

 Frédéric with three fermentation options: oak, 

a cement egg, small stainless steel vat 

– he prefers the stainless steel

Château des Roches, Marigny-Brizay

home of Kate and Benjamin Meuli

partners in and backers of Ampelidae 

Photos from a day at Ampelidae – Haut-Poitou plus .....

On Thursday I spent the day at Ampelidae in the Haut-Poitou. Here are some photos from this trip – the text will follow tomorrow. 

Frédéric Brochet – founder of Ampelidae and its driving force

 

Frédéric with his barrel, concrete egg and small stainless steel vat

– he prefers the stainless steel

Château des Roches winery 

Frédéric keeping his finger on the 2016 vintage ....

The tasting area at the Manoir de Lavauguyot, Marigny-Brizay

(above and below)

 Some of the range of wines

 Pierre, who used to be the sommelier at 

Jean Bardet in Tours, looks after the tasting area

Aynard Clermont-Tonnerre

export manager for Ampelidae 

(above and below)

Part of the Château des Roches winery 

 Stainless steel vat

The interior of the vat

 Blending into the background

Ampelidae's premises at Neuville de Poitou

previously part of the Cave-Coop

 Martial Lecomte, winemaker at Neuville de Poitou

 September 2013 – then disused vinification 

premises of the Cave du Haut-Poitou

 

 October 2016 – as they are now – demolished to 

make way for a larger Lidl supermarket and other shops

 The current Lidl shop just opposite the Cave Coop site

Frédéric Brochet and Ampelidae expands into Touraine

Already easily the largest player in Haut-Poitou, the dynamic Frédéric Brochet and Ampelidae have now expanded into Touraine taking over the management of the Bourgueil and Chinon vineyards that belonged to Pierre-Jacques Druet. Ampelidae have also taken over the running of the Touraine AC and Montlouis vines of Clos du Porteau based in Saint-Georges-sur-Cher. All the wines will be organic.

Aynard de Clermont Tonnerre from the Clos du Porteau has now been appointed to look after the commercial side of Ampelidae. Clermont Tonnerre used to be a banker with Commerzbank.

With 230 hectares now under their control Ampelidae are becoming an increasingly important player in the Loire. 

    

2013 Loire Vintage: thundery, humid weather threatening rot

The approaching storm seen on A83 autoroute we were heading eastwards

Growers' obvious optimism aroused by last weekend's fine weather which continued into the early part of this week appears to be starting to give way to concern, especially for those picking early varieties like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. In the Fiefs Vendéens this was clearly the concern of Jérémie Mourat and Thierry Michon. The concern about the threat of rot was reinforced when we visited Frédéric Brochet of Ampelidae in Marigny-Brizay, Haut-Poitou. Frédéric report that you could virtually see rot spreading in their Sauvignon Blanc as you watched!

There also appear to be some fragile parcels of Sauvignon Blanc in the Central Vineyards, so picking will soon be getting underway. 

Friday was very hot, humid – tropical. Driving back from the Vendée yesterday we passed through a large area of stormy weather that stretched from Fontenay-le-Comte to north of Poitiers. We drove through some very heavy rain – fortunately we encountered no sign of hail. 

 Heavy rain on the A83

Fortunately the rain was much more gentle by the time 

it got to the Haut-Poitou vineyards

Reaching the Loire we ran into another, separate area of thundery weather with very dark clouds to the north of Bléré in the direction of Amboise. 

Unfortunately there are showers, some of them thundery, forecast of most days this coming week, so I expect growers to be picking their early varieties as quickly as possible while hoping that the later varieties resist better and manage to ripen properly before rot sets in.