Our Terroir
Our vineyard stretches over a 30 kilometer radius where the Paris basin and the Médoc basin (Bordeaux), as well as where the Central Massif (Auvergne) meets the Armorican Massif (Bretagne).
In this part of the Southern Loire Valley, our vines benefit from an oceanic climate and therefore a multitude of different soils that enrich them :
our soils
Fossile et marnes du Cénomanien
Silex et féverole sur tuffeau jaune
Coupe dans le tuffeau blanc
Trefles sur sables éoliens
Côteaux sur craies
Terres de groie
our grape varieties
The combination of Loire Valley and Bordeaux influences, without forgetting local originalities, means we cultivate nearly 10 different grape varieties, with Sauvignon blanc reigning supreme alongside its local cousin, the famous Fié Gris (Sauvignon Gris). As to our black grap varieties, the Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Franc flourish on our sunny hills.
Our grape varieties
Sauvignon Blanc
Pinot Noir
Sauvignon Gris
Cabernet Franc
Chardonnay
the secret behind the unique expression of our wines
the quality of our harvest
In the lead up to the harvest, grapes from each of our multiple plots are regularly sampled, analysed and tasted by our team.
When the day arrives, or rather night more often than not, the grapes are harvested by our team helped by our partner wine growers and are systematically sorted before arriving in the winery (on the sorting table for handpicked harvests, and thanks to an embedded system for the machine-picked).
Maintaining freshness
Freshness - the famous Ampelidæ trademark!
To preserve the aromatic purity of our grapes, the grapes are harvested and loaded into tanks at as cold a temperature as possible. To do this, we predominantly machine harvest at night; the boxes of hand-harvested grapes are stored in a cold room before being pressed, and we have made important investments to our winery’s temperature management system.
Thanks to this system of temperature control and the many years of working in this way, we have been able to fully limit our use of sulphites : for example we are very proud to have been able to offer a range of zero added sulphites since 2012.
The art of selection and ageing techniques
We harvest nearly 150 different plots each year. Each plot offers a unique expression of their grape variety, which we try to vinify as faithfully as possible. Throughout the process, each wine is tasted regularly in order to choose the most appropriate ageing technique: complex ageing on lees in oak barrel, concrete eggs and concrete tanks, or even “sur le fruit” in stainless steel tanks and terracotta jars…
All in all, to offer each of you a wine you’ll love!
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