Château Prieuré-Lichine 2023

Delicate, fresh, juicy and harmonious, red-fruited in character, saline on the finish. More elegant and finer than before.

Round and juicy, clean and clear, with a lovely sense of bounce and persistence. Sleek and straight, with a firm mineral core. Great length, really excellent with so much menthol minerality and freshness. Appealing, all in balance and harmony with great tannin expression. Delicious, moreish, generous and so charming. Pretty and well built, still with structure and chalky tannins, but great persistence and a sense of restraint. Cool and classy.

64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Cask sample. Medium-bodied with juicy fruit and polished tannins. Some persistence. Competent if a little underwhelming. (JL)

The 2023 Prieuré-Lichine is seriously impressive. Rich and layered in the glass, the 2023 possesses notable textural richness and elegance. Dark-toned fruit, spice, new leather and licorice flesh out over time. This is an especially rich vintage for Prieuré-Lichine, but it's a style that works so well here. The 2023 impresses with its total sense of balance and harmony.

The floral bouquet is what you initially notice before getting to the cherries, cocoa, licorice and hint of spice in the nose. On the palate, the wine is soft, silky, and fresh. The finish, with its lift, and energy is the perfect setting for all of the licorice, chocolate, mint, and black cherries. The wine blends 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2028-2050.

Dark ruby colour, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fine cassis, dark forest berries, hints of blueberries and mandarin zest. Juicy, elegant and freshly structured, fine tannins, lively, fruity style, nougat on the finish, has energy and length, a promising food wine.

Intense blueberry-driven bouquet, blueberry juice, licorice, and a generous bouquet of violets. On the compact palate, soft texture, tightly knit tannic framework, vibrant nerve, and a straight, focused body. Concentrated finish with blue fruits, graphite, and a sandy astringency.

Well structured, deliciously fragrant with rosebud and tomato leaf on the opening, it treads lightly at first and then builds in structure and power through the palate, widening to show creamy raspberry and damson fruit, with a saline kick on the finish. An excellent quality estate that is always worth checking in with. 35% new oak for ageing.

94-96. Barrel Sample. This estate, in Cantenac in southern Margaux, has produced a powerful wine. With ripe tannins and concentration, the wine is full of potential and promise.