The winery is located in the municipality of Cantenac in the
Margaux region of the
Médoc (Haut-Médoc, Bordeaux). Its origins lie in the old
Benedictine abbey of Vertheuil. It was here that the monks first planted a vineyard for their own use in the 16th century. Later the wine was marketed as "Le Prieur de Cantenac". In the
1855 Bordeaux classification, the estate was awarded fourth place (Quatrième Cru Classé). After numerous owners,
phylloxera,
mildew and the two world wars led to its total decline.
The wine journalist Alexis
Lichine (1913-1989) took over in 1951 under the name of Château Prieuré-Cantenac, the present one was acquired in 1953 and after more than 60 purchases and exchanges of plots of Premier, Deuxième and Troisième Crus, he enlarged the property and managed it until his death. His son Sacha Lichine continued to run the business, enlarged it to its present size and then sold it to the Ballande family in 1999. The vineyards cover 70 hectares in the communes of Margaux, Cantenac, Labarde, Arsac and Soussans. They are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (54%), Merlot (40%), Petit Verdot (5%) and Cabernet Franc (1%). The long-lasting red wine matures for 18 months in 55% new barriques. The second wine is called "Château de Clairefont".