Award-Winning Wines from Château de Parenchère
At Bacchus Wines PLDC, we stock beautiful wines for private clients, restaurants, bars and gastro-pubs.
We a pleased to offer the award-winning winning wines from Château de Parenchère. Dating back to 1570, the estate has a long and well-established history in viticulture. Located on the eastern edge of the Bordeaux wine-growing area, 38 km from Saint-Emilion, near the village of Sainte-Foy-La-Grande. It lies on the borders of the Dordogne and the Lot et Garonne departments.
About the Estate
In 1958, Château de Parenchère became the property of Mr Raphaël Gazaniol on his return from North Africa where his family had already been making wine for two generations. He enlarged the estate from 90 to 153 hectares and replanted almost the entire vineyard which had been decimated by the frost in 1956.
With his son Jean, they decided to take up a challenge: to make Château de Parenchère a true Grand Vin de Bordeaux, able to demonstrate that great wines can come from more modestly recognized appellations.
The estate’s reputation soon surpassed the borders and Parenchère wines were exported to more than thirty countries around the world.
The Terroir
The estate now spans 188 hectares (463 acres), of which 169 acres are dedicated to vines. Planted on the estate’s best-exposed plots and solely on hillsides so that rainwater drains away naturally. This way, fruit quality is not harmed by stagnating water, which would cause the grapes to swell. Thanks to this ideal exposure, the grapes get a lot of sun from the early morning until late in the evening, which helps them to reach their best maturity level even in very difficult years. The grapes will therefore be able to plainly express all their aromas and richness.
The soils are clay-limestone with a very high clay content, which is unusual for this area and which goes some way to account for the strength of the wines produced at Parenchère.
The average age of the vineyard is 25 years, with the oldest vines reaching more than 50 years old.
The grape varieties of the 63 hectares depend on the different plots of the vineyard and how they are exposed.
Grapes
The choice of the grape variety is not dictated by fashion, but rather by what gives the best results on each terroir.
50% merlot
40% Cabernet Sauvignon (on the best-exposed plots)
9% Cabernet Franc
1% Malbec
Similarly, the 6 hectares of white to be found at Parenchère today are made up of the three major white varieties :
70% Sauvignon
20% Sémillon
10% Muscadelle
High Environmental Value Farm
Château de Parenchère adopts a sustainable approach to vine-growing.
Their estate is conducted in ‘Agriculture Raisonnée’ (Reasoned Farming) and has received since 2012 the HEV certification (High Environmental Value farm) – Level 3* – the highest level.
They are also members of the first association of Bordeaux wines certified ISO 14001:2015.
Beyond these certifications, Parenchère is entering ORGANIC CONVERSION this year and no longer uses weedkillers.
To maintain their policy of quality and respect for the environment, their methods are primarily designed to protect the soil. They include growing grass between the rows, traditional tilling, and sparing applications of pesticides and organic fertilizers only when absolutely needed.
The chief producer of fine wines of Chateau De Parenchère, Jean Gazaniol, explains his longstanding relationship with our co-founder, wine broker and aficionado Pierre-Loup DeCam.
“Pierre-Loup and I have been blessed with a friendship that has lasted for over half a century. We both worked in agriculture, and I, particularly in the development of Château de Parenchère with my father, Raphael, whom I took over in 1970. This love for the land and the terroir naturally strengthened our ties. And what has always pleased me about Pierre Loup’s approach to wine is that he has always been interested in WINE in itself apart from any consideration of classification, notoriety or fashion.”
The Wines
Château de Parenchère aims to obtain a well-balanced wine with a firm density and elegant and mellow tannins. They also seek to produce an elegantly wooded wine, with a present yet discreet oak (‘Cuvee Raphael’ and ‘Esprit de Parenchère’), that leaves plenty of room for expressing red fruit and spices aromas.
Wine critic and enthusiast Robert Parker had the following to say about the wines of Chateau de Parenchère.
“For wines of great elegance and longevity, there is no competition. We need more wines like Parenchere, excellent Bordeaux Superieurs at sensible prices.”
We are proud to offer seven signature wines in case of 6 bottles.
If you’d like to know more about the affordable and award-winning wines from Bacchus Wines PLDC Ltd. or book a private wine tasting, please email [email protected].
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