Wine Advisor
Prieure Lichine 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Southwold ’06 Bordeaux tasting. I have never quite understood this wine and a blind tasting merely confirms my lukewarm response to this normally fine Margaux property. It has a ripe nose of blackberry, cassis, plum and a touch of cold tea; moderate definition, graphite developing with time. The palate is masculine, tannic, some hardness and astringency coming through towards the gritty, dry finish. It is a cruel word to use, but in the words of Morrissey: unlovable. Tasted January 2010.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted at the UGC. A muted nose, lacking lift with faint notes of blackberry leaf and hedgerow. The palate is tannic, a little coarse with a brawny finish. It lacks poise and finesse, so hopefully barrel ageing will smooth things out and make this normally great wine a little less aggressive. Tasted April 2007.
Reviewed by: Robert M. Parker, Jr.
With the highly respected Right Bank consultant Stephane Derenoncourt providing advice, Prieure-Lichine has moved to a complete, savory, and for lack of a better description, broad, lush, sexy style. This has always been a wine that was drinkable at an early age, but I think they are building more texture and flesh into the wine, as well as more concentration, without losing the estate’s early appeal. The 2006 is an outstanding wine, with complex notes of spring flowers, forest floor, sweet black currants, and earth. Medium to full-bodied, flavorful, without a trace of astringency or hardness, this is a succulent, fleshy wine to drink over the next 15 or more years.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
Tasted blind at Farr Vintners' horizontal, the 2006 Prieuré-Lichine is one of the hidden delights of the vintage. It has a slightly musky blackberry and raspberry-scented bouquet, cigar box and smoke developing with time. Broody...but this is well defined. The palate is medium-bodied and introspective, yet balanced with good acidity. It just lacks some weight and presence on the finish that feels conservative and yet it is fresh and lively, and actually improves in the glass. Tasted April 2016.
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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