Chateau d’Argadens, Bordeaux Superieur, 2007
Find a traditional property in Saint-André-du Bois dating back to 1258, purchase it and invest your money and, most important, your expertise gained from a lifetime of being in the Bordeaux wine business, lavish attention on it, treat it like a Grand Cru, and focus on making wine that offers the style of Bordeaux rouge at a reasonable price. That’s what the well-known and highly respected Sichel family did with Ch. D’Argadens.
After a comprehensive renovation of the vat room, building a cellar, and restructuring the vineyards, Sichel raised the viticultural level to the highest possible standards---essentially they farm this Bordeaux Superieur vineyard with the same approach they use in their Grand Cru Classé vineyards!
This results in a thoroughly modern style of Bordeaux, lavish with intense berry fruit as well as soft vanilla oak spice. Opaque in color, dense in texture and almost chewy, with soft, supple tannins, the 2007 is a blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon matured in French oak barrels for 12 months.
If you’re a fan of the modern ‘international’ style of red Bordeaux, you’ll want to try the Ch. d’Argadens, a Bordeaux Superieur exterior with Grand Cru Classé inside. No wonder it’s a gold medal winner. At a $15 SRP in the U.S., this is like a Volkswagen sedan with an Audi S4 under the hood.
If you're not a fan of the international style, um, don't go here.
Excerpted from Examiner. For full article with pics and video,
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Planet Bordeaux: Chateau d'Argadens Bordeaux Superieur, 2007 - National French Wine | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/french-wine-in- ... z1Cpy8AZ00