Château Prieuré-Lichine 2025

Tasting Notes and Serving Recommendations for Château Prieuré-Lichine 2025

Tasting

Appearance
This wine reveals a deep ruby color.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet stands out for its floral and fragrant character, exhaling delicate notes of lilac and violet.

Palate
The tasting reveals a dense, velvety texture, supported by soft, silky tannins. The fruit, both juicy and precise, is perfectly balanced by mineral tension and vibrant energy. The whole stretches into a long, elegant, saline finish, carried by persistent freshness.

Serving and cellaring

This wine has remarkable aging potential. It will evolve gracefully and develop its full aromatic complexity in the cellar until approximately 2051.

An elegant and classic Margaux Grand Cru by Château Prieuré-Lichine

The estate

Founded in the 12th century by Benedictine monks, Château Prieuré-Lichine took its current name following its acquisition in the 1950s by the renowned Alexis Lichine. Located on the left bank of Bordeaux, this historic property, classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855, has established itself as an essential reference for wine tourism in the Médoc. Since 1999, the Ballande family has been the current owner of the estate. Combining monastic heritage with modern management, the estate continues to shine thanks to state-of-the-art facilities and the expertise of its technical director Étienne Charrier, supported by consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt.

The vineyard

Stretching over 73 hectares of vines within the Margaux appellation, the terroir consists of Garonne gravel from the Günz era resting on a clay subsoil. The vines, averaging 27 years old, benefit from unilateral leaf removal carried out in June. Strongly committed to preserving biodiversity, the property holds High Environmental Value (HVE) certification and pursues a sustainable viticulture approach.

The vintage

2025 is an early, sun-drenched and precise vintage. A mild winter preceded a spring and a month of June marked by intense heat and exceptionally dry weather. However, welcome rains at the end of August and the beginning of September, combined with mild nights, helped preserve a vibrant freshness. These ideal climatic conditions moderated sugar levels while maintaining beautiful concentration, thus offering a balanced and distinguished profile.

Winemaking and aging

The harvest took place by hand in small crates between September 8 and 23. The berries underwent rigorous selection on a vibrating table, complemented by manual, optical, and densimetric sorting. Vatting was carried out by gravity, without prior crushing, for a maceration period of 23 days. The aging of this first wine, with a yield of 28 hl/ha, is carried out using 30% new barrels and 70% one-wine barrels, employing sixteen different toasting profiles.

Grape varieties

Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (35%), Petit Verdot (5%).