Chateau Prieure Lichine (10 Grand Cru Classe Wines, Prices 2024)

Chateau Prieure Lichine is a 500-year old Bordeaux estate located in the Cantenac commune in France. It is one of the oldest Bordeaux wineries nestled in the Margaux appellation. 

Its unique Bordeaux blends exemplify the diverse terroirs of the estate.

The chateau’s Grand Vin is classified as a Quatriemes Cru (Fourth Growth.) It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

It is owned by Groupe Ballande (or Ballande Group), who purchased the chateau in 1999.

Let’s explore its best bottles to buy in 2024, investment potential, beautiful vineyards, and remarkable winemaking techniques.

Wine Styles of Chateau Prieure Lichine

Besides the Grand Vin, this French winery also produces three other wines:

• Confidences de Prieure Lichine: Second wine of the estate made from younger vines (usually a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc)
• Le Clocher du Prieure: A 100% Merlot varietal produced from the Haut-Medoc appellation plot adjacent to the chateau
• Le Blanc du Chateau Prieure Lichine: A dry white blend made of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grape varietals

Ready to buy some of the best wines from this winery?

10 Exceptional Chateau Prieure Lichine Wines to Buy in 2024

Here are our favorite Chateau Prieure Lichine wines:

1. 1924 Chateau Le Prieure-Cantenac ($492)

This Bordeaux wine offers a nose of cassis and cedar with a hint of earthiness. The palate is rich and distinctive, with black fruit, blueberry, and vanilla notes.

2. 1959 Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($330)

Here we have a classic Margaux wine with silky tannins and an elegant rose, red fruit, and cassis aroma. The flavor profile is fruity with chocolate, cherry, and plum tasting notes.

3. 1991 Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($179)

The 1991 vintage has an intense nose of cherry, licorice, and cedar aromas. It boasts of silky tannins and a flavorful palate of plum, ripe fruit, and chocolate notes.

4. 1980 Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($146)

Here’s a Bordeaux wine with deep violet reflections on the rim. It has an aromatic nose of bilberry, licorice, and vanilla. The delicious palate showcases firm tannins with cherry, plum, and ripe fruit flavours.

5. 1978 Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($128)

This classic Margaux wine has grippy tannins and an addictive aroma bouquet of earthiness and succulent black fruit. It is medium-bodied with a palate of blueberry, currant, and red fruit flavours.  

6. 2000 Le Cloitre du Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($63)

Here we have a garnet red wine with a firm tannin mouthfeel, herbal nose, and tasting notes of blackcurrant and classic black cherry fruit.

7. 1995 Le Cloitre du Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($41)

This garnet-colored wine offers an aromatic nose of succulent black fruit and a remarkable expression of the Margaux terroir. The wine has mesmerizing currant, cherry, and plum tasting notes.

8. 2018 Le Blanc de Chateau Prieure-Lichine ($40)

This white wine has high acidity, a citrusy nose and pineapple, pear, and grapefruit flavors.

9. 2012 Chateau Prieure-Lichine Confidences de Prieure-Lichine ($39)

Here we have a ruby red wine with deep violet reflections on the rim. This second wine has firm tannin levels and addictive aromas of spice, oak, and cassis. It has delicious blackcurrant and classic black cherry fruit notes.

10. 2005 Chateau Prieure-Lichine 'Le Clocher du Prieure' ($25)

This 2005 Merlot blend presents an aromatic nose of red fruit, cedar, and spice. The wine’s palate offers plum, succulent black fruit, and red currant flavors.

Investing in Chateau Prieure Lichine Wine

Chateau Prieure Lichine wines have excellent aging potential, and the best bottles reach peak maturity after a decade or two. They are a lucrative investment opportunity for wine collectors. 

These Fourth Growth Grand Cru Classe wines have earned 90+ from acclaimed wine critics like James Suckling, Vinous, and Wine Spectator. 

They’ve also shown consistent price increases. For example, between August 2019 and May 2020, the 1973 Chateau Prieure-Lichine appreciated by over 143%, from $46 to $112.

Chateau Prieure Lichine wines have had some fabulous auction results too. In a 2020 Sotheby’s auction, a lot of 3 magnum bottles of Chateau Prieure Lichine 2000 was sold for $563.

Food Pairing with Chateau Prieure Lichine Wine

Great food pairing ideas for these wines include classic meat dishes, Asian dishes, fish courses, and pasta.

Remember to serve your Chateau Prieure Lichine Wine at 15.5 degrees Celsius after an hour in the decanter. 

Now, if you’re keen to explore more about this winery, read on about it’s famed vineyard and winemaking practices.

The Chateau Prieure Lichine Vineyard 

Chateau Prieure Lichine is located close to the reputed chateaux of Kirwan and Boyd-Cantenac in the Margaux appellation. 

 Its vineyard extends over 77.5 hectares on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. It is divided into 150 parcels with varying terroir, spread across the 5 communes of the appellation. 

The soil is predominantly composed of gravel, sand, and clay.    

The grapes for the white wine (Le Blanc de Prieure Lichine) come from a small 1.5-hectare vine parcel in the Arsac commune.

Winemaking at Chateau Prieure Lichine

The winemaking at Chateau Prieure Lichine incorporates classic and modern techniques. 

After the grapes are hand-harvested, they are sorted and destemmed. Then the crushed grapesundergo fermentation in double-skinned concrete vats.

The fermented wine is aged in French oak barrels for about 14-16 months depending on the wine style.  

The chateau produces about 20,000 cases of the Grand Vin and 7,000 cases of the second wine a year.

Savor the Essence of Margaux in a Chateau Prieure Lichine Bottle!

Chateau Prieure Lichine produces some of the most mesmerizing red wines in the Bordeaux region. 

The next time you stock your cellar, make space for this incredible Margaux hero and enjoy its charms with friends and family.

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