Château Prieuré-Lichine 2021 Margaux 750ml

Long before it was a Fourth Growth Margaux estate, Château Prieuré-Lichine was Cantenac Priory — a monastery founded by Benedictine monks in the 12th century, producing wine for the monks' own table and for religious ceremonies whose reputation, even in that era, had already begun to spread. The French Revolution seized and scattered the property, sold at auction and split among surrounding Margaux châteaux in 1789. The estate wandered under a succession of names for over a century — La Prieuré, Prieuré-Cantenac — before Alexis Lichine, the celebrated author, wine merchant, and self-styled evangelist for Bordeaux, assembled a group in 1951 to buy the neglected property and rebuild it under his own name.

Lichine earned the nickname "The Pope of Wine" for his personality, his energy, and his genuinely innovative spirit — he was, among other things, ahead of his time in believing that Bordeaux châteaux should welcome visitors and sell wine directly, a then-controversial idea considered "too commercial" by the traditions of the era. Under his direction and that of his son Sacha, and later Groupe Ballande and the Cazes-adjacent management of Justin Onclin, Prieuré-Lichine grew from a mere 11 hectares under vine in 1951 to 77 producing hectares today — vineyards spread across a genuine mosaic of Margaux terroirs and soil types, a reflection of decades of parcel-by-parcel acquisition throughout the appellation.

The 2021 blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, grown on Günz-era Garonne gravel — hand-picked into small crates, sorted on vibrating tables and an optical line without any crushing, then moved into the cellar by gravity flow. James Suckling awarded 96 Points: "a floral and lightly spicy red with redcurrant undertones. Medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins that are polished and poised. Shows depth and intensity at the end." Wine Enthusiast awarded 94 Points, calling it "an elegant wine with a balanced density that comes from the firm layer of tannins," noting that the estate's position in the southern Médoc "gives it a final softness and balance." Toasty oak, flowers, and cherries in the bouquet; a soft, creamy, cherry-filled palate with dark chocolate, mint, and red berries in the finish. From a Benedictine priory to one of Margaux's most consistently admired Fourth Growths — nearly nine centuries of winemaking history in a single glass.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château Prieuré-Lichine began as Cantenac Priory, established by Benedictine monks in the 12th century in the Margaux appellation of the Médoc, Bordeaux. Following the French Revolution, the property was seized, broken apart, and sold at auction, with pieces acquired by numerous surrounding châteaux in 1789 — the vineyard survived under several different names over the following century and a half, including La Prieuré and Prieuré-Cantenac. The estate was formally classified a Fourth Growth in the historic 1855 Bordeaux Classification.

In 1951, Alexis Lichine — a celebrated wine writer and merchant known as "The Pope of Wine" for his charisma and pioneering spirit — assembled a group to purchase the estate, renaming it Prieuré-Lichine and rebuilding it into a genuine Margaux force. With the assistance of Count Lur Saluces of Château d'Yquem, Lichine restored the estate to prominence through the 1950s, and by the 1970s had expanded the vineyard to 58 hectares — acquired parcel by parcel across the appellation, giving the estate its distinctive character of vines spread throughout Margaux's varied terroirs and soil types. Following Lichine's death in 1989, his son Sacha Lichine managed the estate, with Michel Rolland serving as consulting winemaker, before the property was sold to Groupe Ballande in 1999. The estate today comprises 77 producing hectares, managed by Justin Onclin and his team.

The 2021 vintage is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, grown on Günz-era Garonne gravel soils. Production follows a precise, modern protocol: grapes are hand-picked into small crates, passed across vibrating sorting tables and an optical sorting line, with manual sorting throughout and no crushing — the fruit then moved into the cellar via gravity flow to preserve maximum fruit integrity before fermentation.

Critics Reviews

James Suckling — 96 Points:
"A floral and lightly spicy red with redcurrant undertones. Medium-bodied with firm, silky tannins that are polished and poised. Shows depth and intensity at the end."

Wine Enthusiast (Roger Voss) — 94 Points:
"This elegant wine has a balanced density that comes from the firm layer of tannins. Its situation in the southern Médoc gives it a final softness and balance. Drink from 2028."

Jancis Robinson:
Reviewed among the 2021 Bordeaux left-bank vintage tastings, noting the 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot blend and mid-deep color.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Floral and lightly spicy, with redcurrant undertones leading the way — a lifted, perfumed nose that distinguishes the wine from heavier, more monolithic Margaux styles. Toasty oak, flowers, and cherries pop forward, joined by blackberry and plum skin in riper interpretations. Herbal, wet tobacco leaf notes add complexity beneath the fruit, alongside a dense purple fruit foundation.

Palate
Medium-bodied, with firm, silky tannins that are polished and poised — a texture reviewers have specifically praised for its elegance. Soft, creamy, and cherry-filled, with dark chocolate, mint, and red berries building through the mid-palate. An extremely elegant texture on entry finishes with lovely rounded tannin. Good body, good acidity, and real persistence carry the wine's structure without heaviness.

Finish
Shows depth and intensity at the end — a spicy, mint-and-chocolate-driven close with real length. Black cherry emerges most fully with time and warmth, joined by a subtle saline note. Firm layers of tannin give the wine a balanced density that the estate's southern Médoc position tempers into a final, characteristic softness.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Roast lamb or leg of lamb
• Grilled steak
• Duck breast
• Aged hard cheeses
• Classic Bordelaise cuisine