Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine 2023

The power and refinement of a Second Wine from Margaux

The property

4th Grand Cru Classé in 1855, the Château Prieuré-Lichine produces great wines from Margaux expressing all the typicity of this superb appellation located on the left bank of the Bordeaux region. The Château du Prieuré de Cantenac becomes the Château Prieuré-Lichine following its purchase by Alexis Lichine, nicknamed the "Pope of wine" in 1951. Upon his death in 1989, his son Sacha takes over the reins of the estate until 1999, when the property enters the Ballande group.

The estate extends over an area of 77.5 hectares with a vineyard planted on Garonne gravel soils, typical of the appellation. This unique terroir has the particularity of absorbing the sun's heat during the day and releasing it at night, thus promoting an ideal maturation of the grapes.

The vineyard

30 hectares are dedicated to the production of Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine, Second Wine of this reference among the wines of Margaux. With an average age of 20 years, the vines are planted on gravelly-sandy soils. Following the advice of the famous consulting oenologist Stéphane Derenoncourt, Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine is made from a selection of young vines, with the same precision and attention as the Grand Vin of the property.

The vintage

A rather mild start to the year precedes a June whose warm and humid conditions lead to significant health pressure, controlled thanks to the rigor and know-how of the teams. The instability is offset by a hot summer, ensuring a homogeneous maturation of the berries.

Vinification and aging

The grapes brought to the winery in crates, to respect the integrity of the fruit, are manually sorted on a vibrating table and then by optical sorting. The transfer to the vat is done by gravity and without crushing. Maceration from 20 to 22 days. The wines are aged 35% in one-wine barrels and 65% in two-wine barrels.

Blend

Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine 2023 of merlot (80%) and cabernet sauvignon (20%).