The genesis

The story should have seen Yannick taking over his father. But the after-war period has seen the excess of industrial agriculture with its chemical fertilizers in the 70's which brought generational conflit on land philosophy.

Yannick decides to create his own estate in 1977 with 3,90 Ha that belonged to his grand father in the mythical terroir of "Malgagnes". Eugene already made it as a single wine in 1947! Yannick takes over in the 90's the vineyards of two retiring wine growers, whom one is an emblem of Bourgueil: Le Grand Clos. While spraying fertilizer, Yannick once heard in 1975 his grand father saying:"don't put too much of it, don’t put too much of it". He realised he should stop all chemicals on his land, let grass growing between the ranks, practice buds reduction and return to traditional aging instead of insipid stainless-steal tanks.

Juged "anti-conformist" 20 years ago, today of being "wise", Yannick stays cartesian and pragmatic: " We only have one experience per year and are always learning our craft, each year being different. We are lucky to make the wines we like, to live by it, without being preocupied by wine fads". Today rules have not changed: rigour, authenticity and perfectionism are the laws abided by the Amirault family (isn’t that normal for a family with protestant ancestors!) 

Benoit Amirault, one of the two sons of Yannick joins the estate in 2003. After 6 years of wine studies, he leaves his job in a famous winery of the Loire Valley to go with his father and gives heart and life to the heat wave fruits of 2003.

Because the soil, like the plant, has a memory, they only made the decision late in 2009 to be officially approved for organic farming. Likewise, the lunar calendar has already accompanied them for 20 years for each intervention on the wine, and depending on the weather, on the vine.