I had not heard of Chateau Argadens before but I see from their fact sheet they are part of the Sichel Family, which is of course very well-known in Bordeaux. From their fact sheet, “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.” I recently received a bottle of their 2015 Bordeaux Superieur to review. I was pleasantly surprised at how readily accessible this wine is and pairs well with savoury and sweet dishes.
My Tasting Notes
Chateau Argadens Bordeaux Superieur 2015 (BC $24.99) – This wine is a blend of 63% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. It is clear with a deep garnet colour; approximately 90% opaque. This wine has a medium intensity nose showing deeper tones of cassis, red fruits, sweet spices, red cherries and cedar, along with a light touch of oak. The wine is fuller-bodied and round, with a thicker mouthfeel. It is very fruity and may taste slightly off-dry. You get mainly black fruits, cassis, and plums on the palate with a lesser amount of red cherries and a touch of oak that gets stronger toward the finish. The wine has fine tannins that give the wine an almost silky texture. The tannins though soft and fine, still provide enough structure to the wine. It has a medium-plus length finishing with dark chocolate, black fruit and plum flavours, as well as some pepperiness. With the softer tannins in this wine, I would drink it over the next 2-3 years.
After decanting I did not detect a change in the aromatics. On the palate, the wine continued to be very fruity. I picked up some nutmeg flavour. I also noted that the tannins appeared stronger. I originally considered recommending to drink this wine in 1-2 years, but after decanting and seeing the stronger tannic structure I think 2-3 years would work.
I paired this wine with some beef sliders and then with a chocolate cookie for dessert, and this wine worked equally as well. The tannins are not too strong to be overpowered by the beef slider or to overpower the cookie, and the fruitiness of the wine complemented the flavours in both the slider and the cookie (check my Instagram feed for a photo of the pairings).
Rating: 
A quality more fruit-forward Bordeaux wine showing black fruits and fine tannins. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years.
Where Can I Buy This Wine?
BC Liquor Stores carry this wine, but the website lists the 2016 vintage. You may still be able to purchase bottles of the 2015 vintage in their stores.
