Producer
Château de Parenchère is a 153-hectare estate located near the eastern edge of the Bordeaux appellation, and has sixty-three hectares of vineyard planted. Its history can be traced back to 1570, and the building itself was rebuilt in 1731. Much of the wine at that point was used to bolster blends destined for England, but of course now it is bottled at the château, allowing the quality of the vineyards to be appreciated in their own right.
Vineyard
The vines are planted only on the best exposed, sloping sites of the estate, to maximize available sunshine and prevent excessive water buildup around the roots. The soil is chalky clay, with more of the latter than is typical of the region; this gives extra weight to the wines. Sustainability is central to the vineyard management, with minimal treatments, grass between the rows and ploughing keeping the soil in optimum condition. Debudding and green harvesting are used when necessary to control yields.
Winery
The thirty-two vineyard plots were vinified separately. A six to seven days’ cold maceration with saignée was followed by fermentation at 28ºC, and a further 1-2 weeks on skins at 30ºC. The wine was then aged in tank for eighteen months before bottling.
