Well it has been a long while since a review and without a doubt this is a good place to start. Bordeaux’s can often times be overstated and over appreciated, largely due to the huge price that many collectors pay for bottles from famous Maisons in the upper echelons. The Château d’Argadens is a smaller house located south of the city of Bordeaux and slightly north and east of the town of Langon in a region called Côtes des Bordeaux – Saint-Macaire. Originally this house was called Château Salle d’Arche but when the Maison Sichel bought the house in 2002 they renamed it after a noble family from the town of Saint-Macaire. While a small house for many a year, the Sichel clan (it is still a family business) has plans to make it into one of the better maisons in the Bordeaux-Supérieur category. For those unfamiliar with d’Argadens but knowledgeable about Bordeaux’s, you will be familiar with another Sichel house Château Palmer, one of the bigger names with reputation to match in Médoc.
The d’Argadens red is not hard on the wallet, surely due to the Sichel family looking to have a solid entry into the affordable Bordeaux export market. Since 2002 was their first vintage I am sure the years to come (with mother nature approving) will come to find more and more refinement. The terroir lends itself to excellent wine and the almost equal split of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and a small growth of Cabernet Franc grown on a good altitude slope. On to the tastings!
As I decanted this, I thought to myself, “self, this looks about right”. A slight rusty hue to the colour but otherwise a nice solid red, neither cloudy nor “see-through”. The initial scents were distinctly black cherry and the legs (if you believe in such things) were long and slow. Initial sniffing led to large cherry with solid strawberry to compliment. I must say it was much “fruitier” then I was expecting. The first few sips (with solid chewing and slurping) brought about those same flavours as well as a nice hint of oak, not too uncommon! Further jumping into the wine the fruit mellowed, the tannins were even and the wine had a lovely balance, something that can be expected of a five year old red. Hints of vanilla and molasses lent itself to this easy drinking red. I was expecting more tannin and puckering in my mouth then I received, all of which was a pleasant surprise. Without a doubt this would be an excellent wine to have with a medium dish (not too spicy, not too weak, think grilled chicken or pork with a glaze) but I would much rather have it with a nice piece of Blue and Emmental cheese with maybe a few other local “stinky” (as Mrs.CWG would call them) cheeses to compliment. The wine would also be a great bottle to bring to a dinner party as it could be easily served with dinner or enjoyed before or after the meal.
Too many times people expect great robust and complex wines to come from Bordeaux, this wine has elements of both but in large is a very solid affordable wine from a great region. It will not displease the purchaser and will achieve it’s greater goal, tingling the senses, due to this I am giving this wine an 87.
Mrs.CWG says
“Would like to grab a bottle or two for another night!
The hope is, over the upcoming years, that the Château d’Argadens starts producing even more
