Château Prieuré-Lichine — Margaux 2020
Château Prieuré-Lichine is a jewel of the Margaux appellation — a 4ème Grand Cru Classé estate whose wines express the quintessence of one of Bordeaux's most celebrated terroirs. Certified High Environmental Value (HVE Level 3) and awarded a Best of Gold Wine Tourism prize in 2019, the estate is as committed to sustainability and hospitality as it is to winemaking excellence. The 2020 vintage is the estate's finest in a generation: seven critics weighed in, led by James Suckling at 96 points and Wine Enthusiast at 95 — a wine of extraordinary elegance, depth, and cellaring potential. Best from 2026, with a drinking window extending to 2036 and beyond.
Deep garnet-purple in color. The nose is complex and captivating — black cherries, blackcurrants, boysenberries, tobacco, cacao, licorice, dried Provence herbs, pencil shavings, and a lingering florality of roses and lavender. On the palate, the wine is medium- to full-bodied with great intensity of pure black and red fruit, framed by firm yet creamy, grainy tannins and a lively backbone. The finish is long, beautifully balanced, and refreshingly herbal — with salty, chalky minerality that gives the wine its signature Margaux elegance and sleek, restrained power.
Critical Acclaim - Vintage 2020
James Suckling — 96 Points
Black cherries, blackcurrants, tobacco, cacao and some licorice on the nose. Firm yet creamy, with very fine tannins that spread across the palate. Medium to full body. So long and beautifully balanced. Try from 2026.
Wine Enthusiast — 95 Points
This wine already shows a luscious side with its ripe black fruits and rich tannins. The obverse shows structure and acidity. Both these elements will together give a wine for aging.
Decanter — 94 Points
Ripe and deeply scented on the nose and palate, a lingering florality follows the dark black fruits from start to finish. This has a lovely richness, more textural depth than some with salty, liquorice and wet stone tannins that support the fruit and give the frame. Rich and intense but so sleek. Super glamour on show, but elegant in its presentation. Definitely mineral, a salty coolness on the finish but textured tannins giving an appealing chalkiness too. Bold but restrained and super refreshing. A great wine.
Wine Advocate — 93 Points
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2020 Prieure-Lichine offers up notes of fresh redcurrants, blackcurrant pastilles, boysenberries and dried Provence herbs, plus wafts of tobacco leaf and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great intensity of pure black and red fruit flavors, framed by grainy tannins and a lively backbone, finishing long with a refreshing herbal lift.
Vinous — 93 Points
The 2020 Prieuré-Lichine is elegant and nuanced, just as it was en primeur. Prieuré-Lichine is still a very good wine with real class.
Wine Spectator — 92 Points
Ripe and focused, with a violet and alder frame that marries well to the core of lightly steeped plum and black currant fruit flavors. The alder edge asserts itself on the finish, though the fruit keeps pace just a half-step behind. This should settle in with some cellaring. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2026 through 2036. 14,000 cases made.
Jeb Dunnuck — 92 Points
The 2020 Château Prieuré-Lichine has a solid perfume of redcurrants, blueberries, smoky oak, and chocolate that shows more and more floral nuances with time in the glass. Nicely textured on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness, solid mid-palate depth, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It needs a solid 4–6 years of bottle age but is another impressive 2020 with real class.
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Producer: Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux, Bordeaux, France
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Vintage: 2020
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Classification: 4ème Grand Cru Classé, Margaux AOC
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Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot
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Style: Red Wine — Full-Bodied, Elegant, Built for Aging
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Certification: High Environmental Value (HVE Level 3)
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Production: 14,000 cases
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Size: 750ml
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Tasting Notes: Black cherry, blackcurrant, boysenberry, tobacco, cacao, licorice, roses, lavender, pencil shavings, salty mineral, chalky finish
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Cellar Potential: Best from 2026 — drink through 2036+
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Best Paired With: Roast lamb, beef tenderloin, duck confit, aged hard cheeses, truffle dishes
Seven critics, one extraordinary vintage — Château Prieuré-Lichine 2020 is the benchmark for what 4ème Grand Cru Classé Margaux can achieve in a legendary year.
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