Description
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 Cuvée Raphaël is named after Raphaël Gazaniol, who renovated the Parenchère estate in 1958.
It is produced from a selection of the most exemplary estate plots, from vines that are more than 40 years old.
The blend varies from vintage to vintage depending on the success of a particular grape variety:
- Merlot – offers suppleness, fruitiness, and roundness
- Cabernet Sauvignon – offers structure and tannic density
Ageing:
This wine is aged exclusively in barrels made of oak from the Forest of Tronçais.
Cuvée Raphaël is aged for 12 months on fine lees, without racking or exposure to air. Parenchère uses the ‘micro-oxygenation’ technique, sending fine bubbles through the barrels. As a result, the wine’s fruit and elegance are perfectly preserved.
Ideal drinking period:
This wine is excellent in its first year of bottling, but ageing will enhance its elegance and complexity after four or more years. It will continue to improve for ten years.
Pairing:
The Cuvée Raphaël Bordeaux Supérieur is ideal with game, charcuterie and soft cheese.
Awards:
Vintage: 2020
Concours Général Agricole de Paris 2022 : Silver Medal
Vintage: 2018
Decanter – 2021 Bronze World Wine Award winner.
“Lovely, pretty nose of cedar, plum and blackcurrant, palate of spice, cherry, black cherry and liquorice.”
Concours des Vignerons Indépendants 2022: Silver Medal
Talent des Bordeaux Supérieurs 2020.
Elected as one of the Top 6 wines from Bordeaux Supérieur. 850 producers in competition.
Vintage: 2019
Concours de Bordeaux 2021: Gold Medal
Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2022: Gold Medal
Decanter World Wine Awards 2022: Silver Medal – Scored 90 points.
“Restrained nose displaying subtle scents of black pepper, dark cherries and touches of coffee. Fleshy on the palate, vibrant.”
Concours Terre de Vins 2022: Silver Medal
Reviews:
Château de Parenchère « Cuvée Raphaël » 2020 : 91-92/100
“Plenty of blackberry and blueberry with some violet undertones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins that
are linear. Underlying salty character. Vivid.”
Wine Enthusiast – 90 points
Vintage: 2018
“Aged for a year in wood, this wine offers rich tannins and a dense structure. Dark chocolate and liquorice flavours give a sense of firm extraction that needs to blog way so that the wine can develop. Drink from 2022.”
Roger Voss.
James Suckling, January 2021 – USA: Château de Parenchère ‘Cuvée Raphaël: 2018: 90 points
“A juicy red with plum and berry character, medium body and soft, attractive tannins. Drink or hold.”
Decanter Magazine, December 2020 – UK: Château de Parenchère « Cuvée Raphaël 2018: 89 points.
“Here we have a Bordeaux that clearly merits a generous score. The nose is subtle and clean, with notes of plum and cassis and fine dark chocolate. The palate is supple and smooth, with fine tannins and a successful integration of 25% new oak for the 12-month ageing. Some “micro-oxygenation” – sending fine bubbles through the barrels – has broken down the tannins a bit more, and it works here.”
James Sucking – 91-92 points
Vintage: 2020
“Plenty of blackberry and blueberry with some violet overtones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins that are linear. Underlying salty character. Vivid.”
James Suckling, January 2022 – USA: Château de Parenchère Cuvée Raphaël 2019: 91/100
“This is clear and well made, offering currant, blackberry and light coffee aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a polished finish. Another year or two will bring this together nicely. Try after 2023.”
James Suckling, January 2022 – USA: Château de Parenchère Cuvée Raphaël 2020: 91-92/100
“Plenty of blackberry and blueberry with some violet undertones. It’s medium-bodied with fine tannins that are linear. Underlying salty character. Vivid.”
The Wine Enthusiast, December 2022 – USA: Château de Parenchère Cuvée Raphaël 2020: 90/100
“This is a ripe, luscious wine, with bold black-fruit flavors embedded in the tannins. A wine with structure, it needs time with its concentration and density. The wine will be ready in 2024.”
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.