The Château de Parenchère, whose foundations were laid in 1570 by Pierre de Parenchières (governor of Sainte-Foy-la Grande), is situated at the easternmost edge of the Bordeaux appellation, next to Bergerac. Renovated by Raphaël Gazaniol in 1958, the estate consists of 378 unbroken acres (153 hectares), 156 (or 63 hectares) of which are under vine. In January of 2005, Mr. Per Landin took over as majority shareholder in the estate. Today, Raphaël’s son Jean and granddaughter Julia strive to meet the challenge of producing fine Bordeaux wines, demonstrating that great wines can come from lesser-known terroirs.
Location of Vineyard
The vineyards lie on the border of the Dordogne and Lot-et Garonne departments and are classified to produce Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Clairet, and Bordeaux Blanc Sec. 146 acres (59 hectares) are planted with red varieties (50% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec), while 10 acres (4 hectares) are planted with whites (70% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Sémillon, 10% Muscadelle). The average vine age is 25 years old, but certain parcels now exceed 40 years of age. Planting density is between 1,336 and 2,300 vines/acre (3,300 and 5,700 vines/hectare), and the vineyard management is deeply rooted in the principles of sustainable agriculture.
Winemaking Philosophy
To respect the variety of soils and exposures at Parenchère, the 32 different plots that make up the vineyard are kept in separate vats, resulting in 32 distinct wines. Each one is then subjected to selection before final blending, with the ultimate goal of highlighting the fruit and enhancing the elegance of the wines.
