Marvellous Red wines for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and we can’t think of a better way to unwind, relax, and perhaps feel romantic than with a delicious glass of red wine.
This time of year can be a little challenging. It’s still winter. The days are still short and don’t get us started on the weather! However, treating yourself and your significant other to the finer things in life, particularly wine, is one of the finest ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
At Bacchus Wines PLDC, we have a small yet expertly curated range of joyful red wine from Bordeaux. There are four delightful appellations from the award-winning Château de Parenchère. The estate dates back to 1570 and has a long and well-established history in viniculture. The family-run vintners create well-balanced wines with a firm density and elegant and mellow tannins. They also have a sustainable approach to vine-growing, which ticks more boxes for us!
And as wine critic and enthusiast Robert Parker exclaimed,
“For wines of great elegance and longevity, there is no competition. We need more wines like Parenchere, excellent Bordeaux Superieurs at sensible prices” we couldn’t resist but share these four delightful red wines with you.
Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge
The Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is a traditional blend that is fleshy, with a very deeply coloured robe. Characterised with a good balance between fruit and tannin, it displays distinct red fruit aromas with a long, sustained finish.
The blend is approximately comprised of the following and is dependent on the vintage:
- 70% Merlot – offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness
- 20% Cabernet Sauvignon – offers structure and tannic density
- 9% Cabernet Franc – offers aromatic finesse
- 1% Malbec – offers colour and spicy character
Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is ideal with rich dishes including red meat (roasted, barbequed and gilled), offal, cheese-based sauces.
Esprit de Parenchère Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge
Esprit de Parenchère Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is a highly concentrated, yet very elegant wine. It is powerful but with finesse and offers exceptionally long ageing potential.
Grape varieties:
- Cabernet Sauvignon (majority) – offers structure and tannic density
- Merlot – offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness
The Esprit de Parenchère Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge is ideal with game, beef, and poultry.
L’Équilibriste Bordeaux Rouge
L’Équilibriste Bordeaux Rouge boasts the classic structure of Bordeaux wines with great aromas. It is a beautiful deep purple-red colour with intense nuances of blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry and notes of peony violet on the nose. On the palate, it is round, with crunchy and juicy fruit. Mineral and floral flavours continue on a subtle and silky tannic framework.
L’Équilibriste Bordeaux Rouge is made without the addition of sulphites. A ‘tour de force’ by Château de Parenchère, they have produced an exceptional wine that critics and the public have highly applauded.
The blend for this first vintage is:
- 60% Cabernet Franc – offers aromatic finesse
- 40% Merlot – offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness
The L’Équilibriste Bordeaux Rouge is ideal with roasted vegetables, grilled shellfish and Pâté en Croûte or other cold meats or charcuterie.
Cuvée Raphaël
The flagship wine of Chateau de Parenchère, the Cuvée Raphaël, is a dense, concentrated wine with elegant tannins and a mellow and smooth finish. The wine is elegantly woody but not excessively to leave plenty of room for the fruit.
The blend varies from vintage to vintage depending on the success of a particular grape variety:
- 50% Merlot – offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness
- 50% Cabernet Sauvignon – offers structure and tannic density
The Cuvée Raphaël Bordeaux Supérieur is ideal with game, charcuterie and soft cheese.
Discover our Marvellous Reds ideal for Valentine’s Day here.