Château Prieuré-Lichine 2022

Fruity and floral notes dominate on the nose, with plums and a touch of cassis; elegant attack, medium body, fine tannins, red-fruited finish. Has developed positively and will be enjoyable early.

Dark cherry and blackberry fruit shows a steeped edge, while bramble, warm earth and roasted cedar notes fill in through the ever-so-slightly grainy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2032. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 15,000 cases made.

Tobacco, dark chocolate, blackcurrants, plums, and rose petals on the nose, with sandalwood and cinnamon adding complexity. Dark, brooding flavors with toasted elements alongside dark fruits. Less vibrant but deeply finessed. Integrated tannins, acidity lifting the finish. Spice and toast linger, ending with a liquorice note. Needs a few years to fully open.

This is really something for the Prieure. The aromas are vivid and bright and so, so perfumed. Violets, other flowers and citrus blossoms too. Medium- to full-bodied with ultrafine polished tannins that go on and on. Cashmere texture. Long and seductive. Best after 2029.

The 2022 Prieuré-Lichine has a Margaux nose moulded by the warm growing season, exotic and plush, Medjool dates intermixed with black cherries and cassis fruit. A bit heady. The palate is ripe and a little New World in style, plush black plum laced with graphite, rich and heady but just a little overdone and brash towards the finish. Perhaps it will calm down with time? Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting in London.

A richly styled Margaux that opens with licorice, espresso, flowers, blackberries, and cherries on the nose. On the palate, the wine is loaded with lusciously textured, ripe, polished fruits, leaving you with a creamy, fruit-packed finish with a touch of chocolate on the end note. Drink from 2027–2055.

Enticing aromatics, crushed rose petals, with a kick of dark cassis and blueberry fruits on the opening; well balanced, enjoyable, delivered with skill, and it retains the appellation typicity without sacrificing the exuberance of the vintage. Good quality. One to age: you can feel the tannins holding everything firmly in place at this point. Yield of 32 hl/ha.

Upright and serious, imbued with gravitas. Stewed blue and black fruits mingle with sweet spices, while floral notes, like iris, intertwine delicately with the fruit. On the palate, superb structure and perfect balance: light as a feather, yet endowed with a reassuring, deep presence.

From vines rooted in gravelly soils, Prieuré-Lichine 2022 was aged for 18 months in barrels, 40% new and 60% once-used. The bouquet stands out for its elegance and its many inviting nuances, including red berries (raspberries, strawberries) and tea leaves. Elegant and gourmand from the attack, the wine shines with finesse as well as a serene power conferred by its tannins. A polished, delicious wine focused on detail and finesse.

The nose is racy, mineral and elegant, offering controlled power, fine linearity and subtle concentration. It reveals notes of blackberry and nutmeg, and, more lightly, fresh red berries, combined with hints of infusion, racy minerality and fresh blackcurrant, as well as delicate, almost Mediterranean nuances. The palate is fresh, supple, mineral, elegant, racy and gourmand, with a zesty backbone, refined concentration, straightness, an infusion-like character and an elegant roasted touch. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy fresh blackberry, crushed strawberry and, more lightly, violet, along with hints of tonka bean infusion and a discreet iodized and toasted note. The tannins are finely chalky and well handled.

Logo on the cork: A in a circle (Amorim) It’s confirmed that Prieure Lichine is gradually improving in quality. I hadn’t found it this complete since 2005. Dark, intense, youthful color. Highly aromatic nose with ripe, silky fruit. Supple on the attack, juicy and velvety on the mid-palate, the wine really shines on the finish, where it comes across as sappy, rich, spicy, long, and without any harsh tannic edge. Pure pleasure.

The estate, in the village of Cantenac, is now performing well. This new release is full of fresh fruits, mingling with dark tannins. The black fruit aroma is immediately attractive. Drink the wine from 2028.