"Silver medal - Concours Général Agricole Paris 2023
Deep ruby red. A rich, expressive bouquet with notes of red-berried fruit, blackberry and blackcurrant enhanced by a very slight hint of oak. The palate is rounded, ample and flavourful, displaying remarkable freshness. The harmonious balance of the tannins, which imparts fine aromatic length with a predominantly fruity back-of-palate, is to be savoured. One of the great achievements of this vintage, is a very fine wine that stands out by virtue of its freshness and vibrancy. 65 % Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot"
Since acquiring Château Argadens, the Sichel family has put in place a vast renovation program, with the aim of making the wine a benchmark within the Bordeaux category. Argadens red is thoroughly modern Bordeaux with lots of concentrated fruit and an attractive, supple balance. Not surprisingly, it gets consistently high marks in tastings and competitions. Château Argadens also makes a white wine.
The original name of this property, parts of which date back to the 12th and 16th centuries, was La Salle d'Argadens. It became Château Argadens in 2002, when it was bought by Maison Sichel. Sichel's aim in acquiring Argadens was quite simply to see it express the full potential of its wonderful terroir and become one of the benchmark properties in the Bordeaux Supérieur category. To achieve this, the company has invested heavily in terms of finance, time and technology. Sichel's first vintage at the estate was 2002.
Covering 45 hectares of clay-limestone soil in a single plot, Argadens is superbly well situated on one of the highest hills of the rolling Entre-Deux-Mers wine region (one of the five highest points, in fact, of the Gironde). The vineyard is thus extremely well drained and extremely well exposed to the sun and the air.
The date of harvesting is determined plot by plot, according to how the grapes taste, and picking by hand means that only the best berries are selected. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in temperature controlled 210hl stainless steel vats. Post fermentation maceration and the malolactic fermentation are also done in vat. Once the wines have been pressed (pneumatic press), they are put for 12 to 14 months and racked frequently. Before bottling they are fined and lightly filtered.
