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4th Grand Cru Classé in 1855
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Le Château Prieuré-Lichine is a discreet building in the heart of the Margaux appellation, whose wines reflect the grandeur of the sublime terroir. Domaine was founded in the 12th century by the monks of Vertheuil Abbey, and was then known as Prieuré de Cantenac.
Le Château Prieuré-Lichine became a Fourth Grand Cru Classé in the famous 1855 classification at the Paris World's Fair.
In 1951, Alexis LicHine, a Russian-American wine merchant nicknamed the "Pope of Wine", acquired it and added his name to it two years later. With patience and persistence, he endowed Domaine with new terroirs and modernized its facilities, taking it to the top. Today it belongs to the Ballande group, boasts a new vat room enabling bespoke vinifications that reveal the Extraordinary potential of its terroir.
The vineyard covers a surface area of 78 hectares, planted with 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, destined for the production of the grand vin and Second vin, Confidences de Prieuré-LicHine. The wines are aged for 14 to 16 months in oak barrels, 40% of which are new.
For the past few years, 2.2 hectares have been dedicated to the production of the Blanc du Château Prieuré-Lichine, planted with 70% Sauvignon blanc and 30% Sémillon.
The Château Prieuré-Lichine offers wines renowned for their precision, gourmandise and finesse.
The 2018 vintage is the expression par excellence of the great Bordeaux vintages. This year is defined by two very distinct periods: a wet start to the season and a second particularly dry period from July. The vines took advantage of these conditions and by the end of September, the grapes were very concentrated with thick skins. Thanks to the rigor but above all to the passion that animates all the teams of Prieuré-Lichine, the mosaic of plots of the domain will have been brought to maturity with the greatest care.
The robe is a deep purple color, with bright garnet reflections.
The nose opens with a beautiful aromatic burst of forest fruits, blackcurrant and blackberry, followed by peppery spices, cardamom and vanilla wood.
But it is on the palate that its richness is best expressed, where it reveals volume and a delicate touch thanks to high-class tannins. Very concentrated, with notes of red berries and black olive, it finishes gracefully on a fresh and persistent finish.
Food and wine pairing:
Château Prieuré-Lichine 2018 will be sublimated with flank steak with shallots, duck breast with pinot noir sauce, hare stew, game atrials or partridge with wild mushrooms.
For an agreement with cheeses, privilege those with pressed and uncooked paste: cantal, old mimolette, morbier, saint-nectaire and tomme of Savoy.
For dessert, it will be particularly delicious with an Opera cake, a chocolate bavarois or even praline domes.
Ageing potential and tasting:
Château Prieuré-Lichine 2018 is a Margaux with a nice aging potential, which can wait another 10 years to reach its potential between 2033 and 2036.
However, it lends itself perfectly to tasting right now. To do so, take care to place the bottle the night before in the serving room at room temperature. Open it and decant it at least 3 to 4 hours before tasting.
The bottles will be kept in the cellar protected from the light, lying down, at an optimal hygrometric degree of 70%.
