Wine Advisor
Prieure Lichine 2005
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
This deliciously sexy, seductive style of wine from Prieure-Lichine is very much in keeping with how this wine can perform in a top vintage, offering lush fruit, sweet tannin and a silky, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel with notes of flowers, blue, red and black fruits, some underbrush and loamy soil nuances. Suave, round and juicy, this wine has reached its mature period, and should stay there for at least another 5-10+ years.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Significant improvements are noticeable at this Margaux property now that Stephane Derenoncourt is the winemaking consultant. The 2005, perhaps the finest effort from this estate since the mid-sixties, boasts a deep ruby/purple color along with a sweet nose of cola, black cherries, cedar, and forest floor. Opulent with ripe tannin, a precocious mouthfeel (an anomaly for this vintage), and wonderful purity and lusciousness, it should be consumed during its first 15 years of life.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
A lovely nose of violets, cassis and blackberry: great definition. A touch of iodine developing in the glass. The palate is very well-balanced, peppery with thick, robust tannins but with the acidity and delineation to balance the wine. Very good grip and persistency, a wine with the stuffing to last long-term. Superb. Tasted April 2006.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
Even considering some of the great vintages produced under the late Alexis Lichine, this estate has never made a wine as impressive as their 2005. Consultant Stephane Derenoncourt is obviously realizing this vineyard’s full potential. The deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by an open-knit, exotic bouquet of spice, incense, flowers, and sweet black cherries and blackberries. Rich and opulent, with ripe tannin, a savory, voluminous mouthfeel, and wonderful definition as well as elegance, this gorgeous wine is a tour de force for Prieure-Lichine. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
The finest Prieure-Lichine I have ever tasted, the sensational 2005 has unquestionably benefitted from the improvements made at this property as well as the consultation work of Stephane Derenoncourt. Its dense purple color is accompanied by a glorious perfume of forest floor, blackberries, incense, and cassis. Opulent, with sweet tannin for the vintage, excellent purity, and a savory, broad, expansive mouthfeel that lingers on the palate, it possesses the delicacy of a terrific Margaux as well as enough concentration and power to give it an extra dimension. This wine should be drinkable in 4-5 years, and last for 25 or more. Bravo!
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted single blind at Southwold. This has a more delicate nose here with black berries, dark cherries and violets but lacking some vigour. The palate is very ripe, fine tannins, nice weight, overtly ‘modern’ in style with lavish new oak although it is very linear and lacking some personality towards the finish. This tasted better in barrel and I hope that it will improve with further bottle age. Drink 2012-2028. Tasted January 2009.
Reviewed by: James Suckling
This is really fine and layered with ripe and polished tannins and a beautiful depth of fruit. Blackberries, currants and blueberries with hints of light chocolate. Some minerals too. Intense finish. Drink or hold.
About the Producer
Château Prieuré-Lichine is an estate in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, ranked as a Fourth Growth in the official Bordeaux Classification of 1855. It is regarded as one of Margaux's most consistent producers and is known for its elegance and suppleness, derived in part from the relatively high proportion of Merlot in the blend. The estate is located in Cantenac (on an official, administrative, level Cantenac is now combined with Margaux), near to the châteaux of Kirwan and Boyd-Cantenac. There are 70 hectares (173 acres) of vineyards in numerous parcels within the Margaux appellation, of which around 40 hectares (100 acres) contribute to the grand vin. Vineyard plantings are 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 45 percent Merlot, and 5 percent Petit Verdot. The second wine, launched in 1972 as Château de Clairefont, is now sold as Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine and is made from younger vines. Le Clocher du Prieuré is a Merlot-based Haut-Médoc from vineyards adjacent to those supplying the grand vin. The portfolio is completed by Le Blanc du Château Prieuré-Lichine, a Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon blend from a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) plot in Arsac, to the south of Margaux. Red wines are fermented in a mix of stainless steel and concrete vats of differing sizes, with long, gentle extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, and the wine is then aged for 16 months in barriques, 60 percent of which are new. The second wine sees 14 months in second- and third-fill barrels. The estate was founded as the Prieuré (Priory) de Cantenac in the 10th Century, and for many years was a stopping point for pilgrims on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. While vines were certainly planted from the 12th Century, the conversion of the property to a full-scale wine estate took place in the 1700s. Its current name refers to noted winemaker Alexis Lichine, who owned the estate from 1951 until his death in 1989. The estate was acquired by the Ballande group (which includes the Ballande & Méneret négociant firm) in 1999.
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