Ampelidae: Vineyards
A few numbers are all that is required to immediately make clear the immense scale of Frédéric Brochet’s winemaking activities. From a small parcel of vines behind his parents’ house, Ampelidae has grown beyond what I think even Frédéric Brochet would have imagined back in 1995. Take, for example, the Brochet Facile Sauvignon Blanc, a Vin de France popular in a number of export markets. This one cuvée takes fruit from 100 hectares of Frédéric’s own vines, but also from 150 hectares of other vineyards around Haut-Poitou, presumably from growers who previously sent their fruit to the Cave de Haut-Poitou, as well as from 250 hectares all other France.
For this reason it would be very difficult to detail every parcel and vine that Frédéric harvests, so I will concentrate solely on the Ampelidae vines, not those of the growers who sell him fruit. As documented in my history, three domaines make up the estate, all of which are located at the southern edge of the Loire Valley. These are Le Manoir de Lavauguyot, La Mailleterie and the Château des Roches. The vineyards are mostly split between two of these, Le Manoir de Lavauguyot and the Château des Roches, with only a very small area planted to vines at La Mailleterie. In 2016, the vineyards of Pierre Jacques Druet were added to the portfolio, expanding his holdings by about 16 hectares. This means (without looking at any of the contracted vineyards) Frédéric has well over 100 hectares of vines to work with, with a range of traditional varieties planted.
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