Winemaker Notes
Voluptuous and classic, the Grand Cru Classé of Château Prieuré-Lichine fully expresses the fine characteristics of its terroir with the elegance, subtely and breeding of great Margaux wines.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromatic and floral, showing cassis and berries with a nice touch of herbs, citrus and graphite. Juicy and integrated, with small-grained, close-knit tannins and a long, well-structured finish. A more vertical expression than many. A blend of 64% cabernet sauvignon, 31% merlot and 5% petit verdot.
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Decanter
Round and juicy, clean and clear, nice sense of bounce and persistence to this. Sleek and straight, a mineral firm core. Great length, really excellent with so much menthol minerality and freshness. Appealing, all in balance and harmony with great tannins expression. Delicious, moreish, generous and so charming. Pretty and well built, still with structure and chalky tannins but great persistence and sense of restraint. Cool and classy.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
Jeb Dunnuck
A blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 35% new French oak, the 2023 Château Prieure-Lichine is deep ruby-hued and has beautiful aromatics of red and black fruits, leafy herbs, spice, and truffly earth. It's medium-bodied on the palate, with a pure, graceful, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. I'd happily buy a bottle. It's beautiful today and blossoms with air.
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Vinous
The 2023 Prieuré-Lichine offers up copious red/purplish fruit, lavender, rose petal and mint. This is very nicely perfumed. Silky tannins add to an impression of finesse. There is just a touch of dryness on the finish, which is the only real question mark here. Tasted two times. –Antonio Galloni
Barrel Sample: 91-93 -
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Château Prieuré-Lichine has long crafted international-styled wines that earn well-deserved recognition across global markets. The 2023 is polished yet substantial, delivering layers of blackberries and cassis framed by a handsome, well-judged touch of oak. Its depth and composure make it a natural partner for charcoal-grilled hanger steak with shallot confit and rosemary jus, where savory richness meets Margaux finesse. (Tasted: January 22, 2026, San Francisco, CA)
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Fleshy and demonstrative, the 2023 Prieuré-Lichine offers up aromas of sweet berries, plums and smoke, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and textural, with good depth and persistence, it's a strong effort that will offer a broad drinking window in a more modern style.
Barrel Sample: 91-92 -
Wine Spectator
Focused, with good underlying juiciness carrying a mix of gently mulled black cherry and black currant fruit, along with black tea, savory and iris hints. Fine-grained, elegant and gently persistent on the finsh. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Silky, seductive and polished are the words that characterize the best wines from Margaux, the most inland appellation of the Médoc on the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
Margaux’s gravel soils are the thinnest of the Médoc, making them most penetrable by vine roots—some reaching down over 23 feet for water. The best sites are said to be on gentle outcrops, or croupes, where more gravel facilitates good drainage.
The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification but it is nonetheless important in regards to history of the area. In 1855 the finest chateaux were deemed on the basis of reputation and trading price—at that time. In 1855, Chateau Margaux achieved first growth status, yet it has been Chateau Palmer (officially third growth from the 1855 classification) that has consistently outperformed others throughout the 20th century.
Chateau Margaux in top vintages is capable of producing red Cabernet Sauvignon based wines described as pure, intense, spell-binding, refined and profound with flavors and aromas of black currant, violets, roses, orange peel, black tea and incense.
Other top producers worthy of noting include Chateau Rauzan-Ségla, Lascombes, Brane-Cantenac, and d’Issan, among others.
The best wines of Margaux combine a deep ruby color with a polished structure, concentration and an unrivaled elegance.