Bordeaux family négociant with named château holdings and a Merlot led Château Argadens red.
The producer
Maison Sichel is a Bordeaux family wine business with traditional négociant origins. Its portfolio includes Château Angludet, Château Argadens and Château Trillol, with Château Trillol in Corbières, while the family also holds an interest in Château Palmer. Château Argadens 2020 is a Merlot led red with Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, aged in oak for 10 to 12 months. Its aromas combine red berries, blackberry and blackcurrant with a slight oak note, followed by a rounded palate, fresh acidity, balanced tannins and a fruit led finish.
Known for
Bordeaux négociant and château holdings
Notable facts
The Sichel family has more than 700 acres of vineyards across Bordeaux.
Peter M.F. Sichel served for years as managing director of Maison Sichel.
The family holds an interest in Château Palmer.
Peter Sichel was principal owner of Château Forcas Hosten in Listrac until Laurent and Renaud Mommeja bought it in 2006.
The story
The Estate He Moved Into
In 1961, Peter Sichel was running a successful négociant house from the Chartrons district when he bought Château d'Angludet in Cantenac — a property that had been left in poor repair and carried no meaningful market reputation. Most Bordeaux merchants of that era were focused on expanding their trading operations or acquiring classified growths. Sichel moved into the château, invested in replanting and restoring the vineyards, and committed to making estate wine alongside the commercial négociant range. He did not seek reclassification; he farmed the gravel plateau and sold the wine on its own terms as a Cru Bourgeois. He continued living and working at d'Angludet for the remaining fifty-seven years of his life, dying there in 2018 at the age of ninety-five.
The Merchant Who Wrote the Book
Allan Sichel ran one of Bordeaux's most active négociant businesses when Penguin commissioned him to write a wine guide for British readers. He published The Penguin Book of Wines in 1965 — a systematic introduction to wine written from the perspective of someone who bought and sold it professionally every day. The book reached a mass audience at a moment when wine literacy outside the trade in Britain was low and prices were rising. For readers with no access to the merchant world, it was the first plain-English guide to Bordeaux and Burgundy carrying the practical weight of an insider's knowledge. Sichel wrote it without stepping back from the merchant role that gave it credibility.
From the atlas
Maison Sichel
Bordeaux family wine business with négociant origins, named château holdings and a Merlot led Château Argadens red.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Region
Bordeaux
Type
Family wine business with traditional négociant origins
Portfolio
Château Angludet, Château Argadens and Château Trillol, with Château Trillol in Corbières
Named red
Château Argadens 2020
Bottle style
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot in the named red
The Producer
Maison Sichel began in 1883 as a traditional Bordeaux négociant, buying and selling Bordeaux wines. Six generations of the Sichel family have overseen the business since its inception. Peter M.F. Sichel served for years as its managing director.
Named château holdings include Château Angludet, Château Argadens and Château Trillol, with Château Trillol in Corbières. The family also holds an interest in Château Palmer. The business joins wine trading with ownership of three named châteaux and an interest in Château Palmer.
Place
Maison Sichel's wine business is rooted in Bordeaux, where its négociant work began. Château Argadens 2020 carries the Bordeaux Supérieur appellation, while Château Trillol is in Corbières. The named places move from Bordeaux Supérieur on Argadens to Corbières for Trillol.
Wines
Château Argadens 2020 is the named red, a blend of 65% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot. It spends 10 to 12 months in oak, with one quarter of the medium toast barrels renewed each year. Oak ageing can soften tannin and add spice, while partial renewal keeps the wood contribution measured.
Sichel Sauternes 2022 adds a white Sauternes wine to the named range.
Final Word
Maison Sichel combines Bordeaux négociant work with named château ownership and an interest in Château Palmer.