Reasons to Love Bordeaux Wines
There are many, and we mean many, reasons to love Bordeaux wine. From the ideal terroir to the art of blending, excellent price points to multi-generational know-how, you can’t fail to be impressed with Bordeaux wine time and time again.
For centuries, Bordeaux wines have graced tables of royalty and connoisseurs alike. But what exactly makes these bottles so coveted? Let’s delve into the magic behind Bordeaux’s enduring prestige.
Excellent Terroir
Bordeaux isn’t just a place; it’s a tapestry woven from diverse landscapes. From the gravel slopes of the Médoc to the clay-limestone soils of Saint-Émilion, each vineyard boasts a unique terroir – a combination of soil, climate, and topography. This terroir is the artist’s palette, and skilled winemakers use it to create wines with distinct personalities.
Our flagship vineyard, the award-winning Chateau de Parenchère, is a renowned name in the industry. The chateau is located on the eastern edge of the Bordeaux wine-growing region on the Dordogne border. It consistently produces exemplary Bordeaux wines that have won countless awards and are a firm favourite with the critics, a testament to their quality and reputation.
Dating back to 1570, the estate has a long and well-established history in viticulture. The vines are planted on the estate’s best-exposed plots and solely on hillsides so that rainwater drains away naturally. This way, stagnating water does not harm fruit quality, which would cause the grapes to swell. Furthermore, thanks to this ideal exposure, the grapes get a lot of sun from early morning until late evening, which helps them reach their best maturity level even in challenging years. The grapes will, therefore, be able to express all their aromas and richness.
The Art of Blending
Unlike many wine regions that focus on single varietals, Bordeaux excels in the art of blending. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec are the stars of the show, each adding its own layer of complexity. This masterful combination allows for powerful and elegant wines that are structured and harmonious.
At Bacchus Wines PLDC, we’re not wine snobs; we’re wine lovers. Wine is a joy and should be judged on merit. But we’re often asked, which is better? A blended wine or a single-varietal wine? We love blended wines because they offer more complexity and balance. Blended wines are more complex and exciting to drink. By blending different grape varieties, winemakers can create wines with a broader range of aromas and flavours. Blending also helps to balance the acidity and tannins in the wine, which only an expert vintner can do. Blended wines are more consistent because the elements can affect the quality and flavour of grapes. By blending grapes, winemakers can create a more consistent quality wine. Our Château de Parenchère range is majority blended wine with multi-generational winemaking know-how. We know that we’re going to get a fantastic product every time.
The Beauty of Aging
Not all wines are created equal, but many Bordeaux wines are built to last. Their high tannin content allows them to evolve gracefully over decades, developing rich and nuanced flavours. Owning a bottle of Bordeaux can be an investment in an experience that unfolds over time.
Bordeaux wines are expertly blended with the right amount of acidity, essential for preserving wine and preventing it from oxidising. Wines with low acidity are more likely to deteriorate with age. While alcohol can contribute to the complexity of a wine, too much alcohol can also make a wine unbalanced and difficult to age. Wines with delicate aromas are more likely to lose their fragrance over time. Cuvées from warmer climates tend to have shorter ageing potential than wines from cooler ones because the grapes in warm climates are more likely to be overripe, leading to flabby wines lacking acidity.
Our Top Three Must-Try Bordeaux Wines
Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge
Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is a fleshy traditional red wine blend with a very deeply coloured robe. It is characterised by a good balance between fruit and tannin and displays distinct red fruit aromas with a long, sustained finish.
A traditional wine, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is a blended wine produced using 20-year-old vines. The blend is approximately comprised of Merlot, which offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness; Cabernet Sauvignon, which offers structure and tannic density; Cabernet Franc, which offers aromatic finesse; and Malbec, which offers colour and spicy character.
James Suckling gave the 2020 Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge 91/100 points and said, “Notes of plums and blackberries with coffee, walnuts, dark spices and violets. Juicy and blue-fruited palate with medium body and firm tannins. Toned and textured, with a chewy finish. Try after 2024.”
Available in vintages from 2014 through to 2020, in cases of six bottles, magnums and half bottles.
The Bordeaux Blanc Sec
Bordeaux Blanc-Sec is a white wine with intense white and citrus fruit aromas. It is fresh and round on the palate and is expertly balanced.
Château de Parenchère enjoys a perfect terroir for white wines thanks to the presence of limestone in the soil. The blend is a bright and aromatic dry white wine with roundness. It is comprised of Sauvignon to offer aroma and freshness, Sémillon to offer fleshiness in the mouth, and Muscadelle to offer aromatic and sustained notes of white flowers.
Concours Gilbert & Gaillard awarded the 2022 vintage a Gold Medal.
Available in vintages from 2019 through to 2022, in cases of six bottles.
La Roseraie Bordeaux Rose
La Roseraie Bordeaux Rosé is light and subtle and offers excellent freshness. The rose petal coloured wine offers floral aromas of hawthorn, lychee and rose.
It is named in honour of the 18th-century rose garden on the Château de Parenchère estate. The La Roseraie Bordeaux Rosé, produced from direct pressing, was created to obtain the most refined and delicate wine possible.
The blend varies from vintage to vintage, depending on the success of a particular grape variety, and includes Cabernet Sauvignon for structure and tannic density and Cabernet Franc for aromatic finesse.
Gilbert & Gaillard awarded the 2020 vintage a Gold Medal.
2020 and 2022 vintages are available in cases of six bottles.
Post a Comment