1981 | Chateau Prieure-Lichine | Margaux

Red Wine: 1981 | Chateau Prieure-Lichine | Margaux

The palate is powerful and complex. A wine of great finesse and an impressive length in the mouth.

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Producer: Chateau Prieure-Lichine

Vintage: 1981

Size: 750ml

ABV: 12.5%

Varietal: Bordeaux Blend Red

Country/Region: France, Margaux

The palate is powerful and complex. A wine of great finesse and an impressive length in the mouth.

Producer Information

Chteau Prieur-Lichine is an estate in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, ranked as a Fourth Growth in the official Bordeaux Classification of 1855. It is regarded as one of Margaux’s most consistent producers and is known for its elegance and suppleness, derived in part from the relatively high proportion of Merlot in the blend. The estate is located in Cantenac (on an official, administrative, level Cantenac is now combined with Margaux), near to the chteaux of Kirwan and Boyd-Cantenac. There are 70 hectares (173 acres) of vineyards in numerous parcels within the Margaux appellation, of which around 40 hectares (100 acres) contribute to the grand vin. Vineyard plantings are 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 45 percent Merlot, and 5 percent Petit Verdot. The second wine, launched in 1972 as Chteau de Clairefont, is now sold as Confidences de Prieur-Lichine and is made from younger vines. Le Clocher du Prieur is a Merlot-based Haut-Mdoc from vineyards adjacent to those supplying the grand vin. The portfolio is completed by Le Blanc du Chteau Prieur-Lichine, a Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blend from a 1.5 hectare (3.7 acre) plot in Arsac, to the south of Margaux. Red wines are fermented in a mix of stainless steel and concrete vats of differing sizes, with long, gentle extraction. Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrel, and the wine is then aged for 16 months in barriques, 60 percent of which are new. The second wine sees 14 months in second- and third-fill barrels. The estate was founded as the Prieur (Priory) de Cantenac in the 10th Century, and for many years was a stopping point for pilgrims on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. While vines were certainly planted from the 12th Century, the conversion of the property to a full-scale wine estate took place in the 1700s. Its current name refers to noted winemaker Alexis Lichine, who owned the estate from 1951 until his death in 1989. The estate was acquired by the Ballande group (which includes the Ballande & Mneret ngociant firm) in 1999.