cave la paroisse : deeply rooted in the region’s history
At the time of its founding in 1935, the Société coopérative de vinification (cooperative winery) in Saint-Seurin de Cadourne brought together a number of small winegrowers – including some Crus Bourgeois – whom the 1929 crisis would have condemned to disappear.
As strength lies in unity, they decided to put together both their harvests and their expertise, and first settled in a cellar that belonged to Château Grandis.
What a long way they have come since then ! Thanks to the quality of its terroirs and its wines, the winery has of course grown over the decades. Yet, with just 50 hectares of vineyards and 23 members, it remains a human-size structure, which produces a range of genuine Haut-Médoc wines.
Its vineyards sit alongside the prestigious Saint-Estèphe AOC to the south, and spread out, to the east, on gravelly hilltops that overlook the great Gironde river.
As the cooperative deems it crucial to let each specific terroir express itself through the wines, it offers a wide range of nearly 10 different products – which corresponds to an average of 5 hectares per product !
including the famous Grand Paroissien, La Paroisse, l’Elite de la Paroisse, Château Quimper, Château La Maletonne, Château La Chicane and Château Moulin de Ginestra.
Selling directly to the region’s customers is very important to La Paroisse – and who better than local connoisseurs and restaurateurs to judge of the excellent quality/price ratio of its wines ?
Being acknowledged by the local population is the best possible testimony to the fact that the winery has been able to listen, adapt, and work to offer the best at the right price. This is also what Médoc is all about ! Winemakers’ wines with character !
Selecting grapes based on parcels, on terroirs, and on their varieties, is of the essence.
The cooperative’s winemakers’ work then becomes complete when the grapes turn into wine in concrete vats and amphoras, after which the wines age in vats or oak barrels, which brings lovers of great wines a whole range of tastes, sensations, and experiences.
