In the Minervois wine region , Château de Paraza is a charming residence built on a historic site. The attached vineyard has been cultivated for centuries. The Danglas family has managed the estate since 2006, producing wines that express the grape varieties and the terroir.
The Castle of Paraza
The Château de Paraza is a historic 17th - century residence whose most famous resident was Pierre Paul Riquet. He lived there during the construction of the Canal du Midi, then known as the Canal du Roy. The building overlooks the waterway, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first garden level overlooks the vast Aude plain. Seven terraces then cascade down to the canal. The Château de Paraza 's unique location makes it a charming hotel offering four suites converted into guest rooms. Winemaking has been practiced on the estate for centuries. Since 2006, the Danglas family has overseen the management of this 75-hectare vineyard, practicing responsible viticulture certified as High Environmental Quality (HVE).
The Paraza vineyard
The vines stretch across hillsides on alluvial soil where clay-limestone subsoil lies alongside veins of siliceous pebbles from the Montagne Noire. On this sunny terroir, frequently swept by the playful winds of the Minervois , the average age of the vines is around thirty years. Reserved for the top wines of Château de Paraza , the oldest vines are 65 years old. While these traditionally include Syrah, Grenache Noir, and Mourvèdre, they have also learned to coexist with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Marselan, and Roussanne. This rich palette foreshadows a winemaking style that creates complex effects depending on the cuvée. The wines, produced with carefully managed yields, are crafted in a 102-meter-long cellar whose generous volume offers ample space for winemaking. The temperature is naturally regulated by a thick-walled stone enclosure. The deep aisle of vats extends into a vast cellar where the estate's wines can be enjoyed in an elegant setting.
Wines of Paraza
At Château de Paraza, the creation of fruity and balanced wines drives the work in the cellar. The Velvet range , in both white and red, reflects this quest for elegance combined with the typical characteristics of Minervois. The Red Velvet , made from Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, particularly expresses this southern signature, offering red fruit aromas enhanced by spicy notes and structured by silky tannins. The expression of power is accentuated with the Ad Vinam Æternam cuvée . The blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre here achieves a further complexity brought about by aging in oak barrels. As for the strength of the fruit, resting on hints of spice and the supple accent of the tannins, it is in In Vino Veritas that it is best understood. With Bad Rosie , the rosé reveals a fruitiness and freshness that the Palma cuvées echo with even greater nuance. Made as white and rosé wines, and then aged primarily in oak barrels, they bear the signature of the entire Danglas family. For in Palma , the initials of each family name converge: Pascal, Annick, Lucile, Matthieu, Antoine. This underscores that the wines of Château de Paraza are defined by a shared pursuit of elegance and quality. This character is expressed in its purest form in the rare cuvées X and MMV . But it also finds its spontaneous expression in the Oh La La collection , designed for pleasure and conviviality.
