Chateau Prieure Lichine 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, dark, red pit fruits, mint, and just a hint of chocolate create the perfume. The wine is silky, fresh, plush and polished with an elegant, vibrant finish that does not want to quit. This is already stellar in your glass, and with some time in the cellar, it is only going to get better with age. Drink from 2024-2047."

DECANTER: "Supple and generous, grippy tannins, a slate saltiness, fine but present and mouthcoating. Feels a little constricted with its youthful, spicy edging, a touch tight and unyielding. There is a juiciness and underlying acidity, and the fruit is minty, liquorice-tinged, ripe and chewy; this is mostly brawn right now with a muscular power directed quite narrowly. There’s confidence and style though, so give it a few years."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, tiefer Kern, zarte Randaufhellung. Zart floral, reife Zwetschken, schokoladiger Anklang, ein Hauch von Gewürznelken und kandierten Orangenzesten. Saftig, reife Kirschen, dezente Süße, präsente, integrierte Tannine, etwas Nugat im Nachhall, wirkt kraftvoll, ein stoffiger Speisenwein mit Zukunftsperspektive. (2025–2050)"

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Tasted on two separate occasions, 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, it has 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."

WINE SPECTATOR: "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."