Cantenac Margaux château, classified Quatrième Cru, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot wines.
The producer
Château Prieuré-Lichine is a Quatrième Cru in Cantenac within the Margaux appellation. The château began as a Benedictine monastic vineyard in the 12th century, was acquired by Alexis Lichine in 1951, and received its present name in 1953. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot make up the plantings. The grand vin is vinified parcel by parcel in concrete tanks, then aged in French oak. Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine is the secondary wine, with redcurrant, raspberry, fresh acidity and roasted oak in 2023.
Known for
Parcel vinified Margaux red wines
Notable facts
The château began as a Benedictine monastic vineyard in the 12th century.
Alexis Lichine acquired the estate in 1951.
The property was renamed Château Prieuré-Lichine in 1953 with assistance from Count Lur-Saluces of Château d'Yquem.
Groupe Ballande acquired the estate in 1999.
The story
Alexis Lichine Renames the Estate
In 1951, Alexis Lichine acquired the estate. Two years later, with assistance from Count Lur-Saluces of Château d'Yquem, he renamed the property Château Prieuré-Lichine. The new name joined Lichine's surname to the priory's older name. That priory had begun as a Benedictine monastic vineyard in the 12th century. Lichine's surname and the priory name then travelled together in the estate's title. The event changed the property name while leaving the Benedictine origin in view. The property became Château Prieuré-Lichine.
From the atlas
Château Prieuré-Lichine
Margaux château in Cantenac, classified as a Quatrième Cru, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot wines made around a parcel by parcel grand vin.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Place
Cantenac, Margaux appellation, Bordeaux Left Bank
Classification
Quatrième Cru
Main grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot
Range
Château Prieuré-Lichine and Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine
Defining feature
Parcel by parcel vinification in concrete tanks
The Producer
Château Prieuré-Lichine is a Quatrième Cru in the 1855 Bordeaux Official Classification, a category that places it among the estates ranked as fourth growths in that classification. It sits in Cantenac within Margaux, with a range led by the grand vin Château Prieuré-Lichine and the secondary wine Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine.
The grand vin is vinified parcel by parcel in 34 concrete tanks of varying sizes. Malolactic fermentation occurs in barrels, followed by ageing for up to 16 months in French oak, with 55 to 65 percent new barrels.
Place
Cantenac is the commune named in the estate address, Margaux is the appellation, and Bordeaux's Left Bank is the wider setting. An appellation is a regulated geographic name, so Margaux narrows the wine's geography from the Left Bank to a defined area. The commune locates the château within that appellation.
Wines
The range is split between the grand vin, Château Prieuré-Lichine, and the secondary wine, Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine. The current vineyard composition is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, with the grand vin vinified parcel by parcel before barrel malolactic fermentation and oak ageing.
Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine 2023 brings redcurrant and raspberry with fresh acidity, and is austere at present. Roasted oak accompanies blackcurrant, cedar, cocoa, tobacco, plum, coffee and vanilla.
Final Word
Groupe Ballande acquired Château Prieuré-Lichine in 1999. Harvesting has included grain to grain sorting since 2009.