SURFACE 45ha, 3ha of which produce white wine AVERAGE AGE OF VINES 30 years
GRAPE VARIETIES Sémillon and Sauvignon
TERROIR 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.

WINEMAKING/MATURING Once they have reached optimum maturity, the grapes are harvested by machine. The Sémillons are pressed immediately, while the Sauvignons undergo skin maceration. During this pre-fermentation period, the grapes and the musts are protected from oxidization by being kept under inert gas. Once the musts have been cleaned, they are fermented in new oak barrels. At the end of the alcoholic fermentation, the Sémillon and Sauvignon wines remain on full lees, which are stirred two or three times a week, for 3 or 4 weeks; tasting determines the point at which they are racked off. Once the heavy lees sediment has been removed, the wines spend a further 2 to 3 months on fine lees, with weekly stirring, until they have taken on the required richness and complexity. At this point they are racked off for the final time and put into vat, where they are blended to obtain a balance of structure and aroma. Before bottling, the wine is lightly fined and put through a cold stabilization process, which will ensure it remains bright, limpid and sediment free.