Description
Château Prieuré-Lichine is a Fourth Growth (Quatrième Cru Classé) estate in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, officially classified in the famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The château is located in Cantenac within the Médoc, on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
The estate began as a Benedictine priory vineyard dating back to the Middle Ages, with records going back to 1444. Monks from the Abbey of Vertheuil cultivated vines there long before the property became a commercial wine estate.
Its modern identity comes largely from Alexis Lichine, the influential wine writer and merchant often called the “Pope of Wine.” He purchased the neglected estate in 1951, restored and expanded it, and renamed it Château Prieuré-Lichine in 1953. His work helped revive the château’s international reputation.
Today the estate is owned by the Ballande Group, which acquired it in 1999 and invested heavily in vineyard restructuring and modern winemaking facilities, including gravity-flow cellars and tulip-shaped vats introduced in 2013.
Tasting Notes
“The 2016 Prieuré-Lichine is all class. Floral, silky and nuanced to the core, the 2016 is a wine of pure and total seduction. Freshly cut flowers, vibrant red fruit and creamy tannins all add to the wine’s undeniable allure. In 2016, Prieuré-Lichine is all class, not to mention one of the sleepers of the vintage. Don’t miss it! Tasted two times.”[ 96/100 Points – Antonio Galloni – December 2018 – vinous.com]
