Château de Parnay

Antoine Cristal was the owner of Château de Parnay from 1887 until his death in 1931.
He was responsible for the construction of this unique parcel of land. In 1894,
he built a 0.56 hectare estate.

The particularity of the Clos d'Entre les Murs lies in its structure: 4 enclosing walls 2.5 m high and, inside, 11 parallel walls 2 m high and 60 cm thick, planted from east to west. Vines are planted on the north side of the walls. The vines are trained to grow through a hole in the wall at a height of 50 cm to the other side, facing south.

Père Cristal's ingenuity lay in using the north side to take advantage of the coolness and humidity of the soil and the south side to benefit from the heat. In this way, the vines always had “their roots in the cool and their heads exposed to the sun”. In this way, the vines can flourish and produce grapes of optimal maturity every year. This original technique ensures that the Clos d'Entre les Murs wine is of astonishing quality.

The owners are proud of the heritage of Père Cristal and attach great importance to the Clos d'Entre les Murs, a parcel of chenin that is unique in the world and emblematic of Château de Parnay. Today, this plot has been classified as a Historic Monument by the Bâtiments de France since January 2011. It creates dry, complex white wines, combining mineral, floral and fruity notes.

Photo Gérald Angibaud

www.chateaudeparnay.fr