Wine Enthusiast 96 points | This wine is poised between great ripeness and a mineral, textured character, while also showing a robust tannic structure. Its richness is tempered by the freshness of the vintage. There is plenty of long-term aging potential in this wine that continues the great improvements at the estate.
Barrel Sample: 94-96 Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2019 Prieuré-Lichine is supple and generous, bursting with aromas of blackberries, currants, licorice, spices and creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, it's round and enveloping, with ripe acids and a rich, seamless profile. This is showing well out of the gates. This heavily morcellated estate (amounting to some 125 different parcels) is clearly benefitting from a more rigorous selection and better attention to detail regarding harvest dates. Best After 2021
Decanter 93 Points | Plump black fruits, medium to full intensity plum colour with a violet rim and slate-edged tannins that slow things down on the end of the wine. The trick with a Margaux wine is to get concentration without losing elegance, and they have pulled that off here. It's an excellent Prieuré, with a slow build through the palate, if not quite at the height of the wines that have been produced at this estate in 2016 and 2018 but you are not going to be disappointed here. Tasted twice two weeks apart. Stéphane Derenoncourt consultant.
Barrel Sample: 93 Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Readers looking for a complex, nuanced Margaux should check out the 2019 Château Prieuré-Lichine. Giving up a beautiful floral bouquet that includes red and blue fruits, sappy herbs, and flowery incense, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, plenty of mid-palate depth and sweet tannins, and a great finish. This complex, layered Margaux needs just 2-4 years of bottle age and should see its 20th birthday in fine form. Best After 2024James Suckling 92 points This shows a lot of floral notes, such as lilacs and violets, together with aromas of dark fruit, cloves and bark. It has medium body and a soft, polished-tannin structure. Juicy, lingering fruit and firm, fine-grained finish. Drinkable now, but better after 2023.Vinous 95 points The 2019 Prieuré-Lichine has a clean and precise bouquet with blackberry, tobacco, undergrowth and light smoky scents - very classic in style, the oak nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with high-toned black cherries and blueberry fruit, spicier than expected with an energetic if not particularly complex finish. Enjoyable rather than intellectual. This performance does not correspond with its showing either from barrel or just after bottling, so I will seek to revisit this Margaux. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. — Neal Martin
