Chateau de Parenchere 2014

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£179.40
£155.40

ABV 13.5%

Grapes:
Merlot (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Cabernet Franc (9%) and Malbec (1%)

Tasting Notes
Chateau de Parenchere is made from a blend of four grape varieties from vines which are 20 years old on average. Merlot gives the wine its fleshy, black plum character whilst Cabernet Sauvignon adds structure and backbone, the rest of the blend is made up of Cabernet Franc and Merlot which add body and a spicy character. A harmonious wine with a good balance of soft fruit and tannin, the wine finishes long and fresh on the finish.

Food
Serve with rich casseroles, slow roasted leg of lamb, mild Indian curries and well flavoured cheeses.

Region
Bordeaux Superieur is an appellation which covers the whole of the Bordeaux region, from Verdon-sur-Mer at the north-western tip of the Medoc to Sainte-Foy, 80 miles (130km) to the east. Rather than being a sub-category of the generic Bordeaux appellation, Bordeaux Superieur is a title in its own right, specifically covering both red and white wines. The reds have a slightly higher alcoholic content than standard Bordeaux, are aged for longer in oak barrels (12 months minimum) and are produced from older vines. The whites are distinguished from standard white Bordeaux by their higher residual sugar levels, which make the wines anything from semi-sweet to liquoreux. Bordeaux Superieur wines are produced from the classic Bordelais grape varieties. The reds are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Merlot, Malbec and Petit Verdot (proportions vary according to vineyard locations), and generally tend to be a little richer and more complex than regular Bordeaux. They also, theoretically, offer better ageing potential, but this can be down to the winemaking. The whites are produced from Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Semillon and Muscadelle. They also tend to be a little more complex, due to the slightly lower maximum yields dictated by the Superieur production conditions. About a quarter of the vineyard coverage dedicated to AOC Bordeaux wine production is given over to Bordeaux Superieur. It is spread across the region, with a bias towards the areas north of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol where more location-specific

Producer
Château de Parenchère rises up from green countryside at the boundary between the Gironde and Dordogne departments in the eastern edge of Bordeaux. The foundations of this 18th century Perigord architectural ensemble were laid down in 1570 by Pierre de Parenchières, Lord of Fourgoignières. It was then totally destroyed and rebuilt in 1731. At the time, the fief of Parenchere was held by governor of the district of Sainte Foy la Grande.The Château de Parenchère vineyard lies on chalky soils with a very high clay content, which is unusual for this area and which goes some way to accounting for the strength of the wines produced. The vineyard is concentrated on 63 hectares (153ha total estate), planted on the estate’s best exposed plots and solely on hillsides so that rainwater drains away naturally. The Château became the property of the Gazaniol family in 1958 after Raphaël Gazaniol returned from North Africa where his family had been winegrowers for two generations. In January 2005, Mr Per Landin, a wine-lover from Sweden, in his turn fell in love with the estate, as well as the Parenchère wines, and so became a new shareholder.

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