Overview

Chateau Prieure-Lichine, previously Chateau Le Prieure and Chteau Prieure-Cantenac, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Cantenac. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrimes Crus (Fourth Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

Originally a priory of Benedictine monks who cultivated grapes for service at dinner and at religious ceremonies, practices gradually evolved by the 18th century to establish sales of the wine under the name Le Prieure de Cantenac. As a consequence of the French Revolution, the property was seized, divided and sold in 1789 to several surrounding estates, including Chateau Palmer. A portion was bought by Monsieur Pages who passed on the estate to his widow, when due to its reputation and broker prices received a fourth growth classification in 1855. Several changes in ownership resulted in changes to the name, such as Le Prieure and Prieure-Cantenac, and when the late wine writer and authority Alexis Lichine arrived to buy the estate it consisted of 11 hectares of neglected vines.

Alexis Lichine bought Chateau Prieure-Lichine in 1951 shortly after having purchased the Margaux estate Chateau Lascombes and work began to resurrect the property. In 1953, with the help of Count Lur-Saluces of Chateau d'Yquem, Lichine renamed the Prieure to Chteau Prieure-Lichine. With the estate renamed in 1953, the following year Cantenac wineries were entitled to use the appellation of Margaux. Sacrificing quantity for quality, portions of desirable land were traded at a loss of two to one were with third growth neighbours Palmer, Ferrire, Kirwan, Giscours, Issan, Boyd-Cantenac and second growth neighbours Durfort-Vivens and Brane-Cantenac, adding up to 47 acres (19 ha) of vineyards by the mid-1960s.

With an aim to produce a wine well beyond its classification, Lichine undertook extensive replanting, repairs and investments and brought in oenologists Emile Peynaud and Patrick Lon to advise on vat selection. By the 1970's the estate totalled 58 hectares dispersed across the communes Cantenac and Margaux. After Lichine's death in 1989, the estate was run by his son Sacha for several years, with oenologist Michel Rolland acting as consultant, until the estate was sold to the Groupe Ballande in 1999.

The winery currently employs Stphane Derenoncourt as its consulting oenologist. The soils of Chateau Prieure-Lichine are essentially made up of gravel deposited by the river during successive glacial floods in the Quaternary era. Streams resulting from the floods then cut up these sedimentary soils into well drained mounds, which today look out over the Gironde estuary.

Chateau Prieure-Lichine currently consists of about 77.5 hectares (192 acres) planted with 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot with an average age of 30 years.planted to 8,000 vines per hectare. After fermenting in Tulip shaped cement vats, the wine is aged for up to 16 months in 50% new oak barrels and 5% one year old barrels. The resultant wine is rich and lavish Margaux considered to be better than its 1855 rating.