2023 Château Chasse-Spleen, Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
Ruby red, floral and savoury Cabernet Sauvignon character dominant on the attack with cassis bud, rose stem, on the edge of underipe balanced by spiced herbs and bright autumnal fruit character with fennel, marzipan, raspberry leaf, austere tannins on the finish. 40% new oak. 34hl/ha
Drink 2028 - 2038
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com (April 2024)
The 2023 Chasse-Spleen takes time to open on the nose, gradually revealing raspberry and blackcurrant scents, touches of rose petals and freshly rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, adequate freshness and a marine-tinged finish—almost Pauillac-like in style. This is quite a stylish if almost “old-school" Chasse-Spleen that should develop well in bottle.
Drink 2028 - 2048
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
The 2023 Chasse-Spleen is a very pretty, aromatic Moulis. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, chalk, mint and white pepper are all nicely lifted in this mid-weight offering Bright acids lend freshness to play off the mid-weight structure.
Drink 2027 - 2038
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2024)
Offering up aromas of minty cassis, dark berries and pencil shavings, the 2023 Chasse-Spleen is medium to full-bodied, fleshy and youthfully structured, with good depth at the core and a penetrating finish. It's a strong effort.
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (April 2024)
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Reticent aromatically with just a slight leafy edge. Juicy fruit on attack, the tannins present but a touch drying and aggressive on the finish. Will benefit from élevage.
Drink 2028 - 2038
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com (April 2024)
This is structured and a little tight, with good concentration and volume. It’s medium-bodied with juicy and vibrant fruit coming through. Velvety tannins. Firm and fresh at the end.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (April 2024)
Sappy herbs, flowers, cedar, smoke, and a more red-fruited profile all define the 2023 Château Chasse-Spleen, a medium-bodied, juicy, focused, borderline lean Moulis. It should round into shape over the course of its élevage and drink nicely for 4-6 years, possibly longer.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (May 2024)
About this WINE
Chateau Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen is the leading Moulis estate along with Château Poujeaux. Although it is classified only as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc's more renowned classed growths. There are two theories behind the château's rather unusual name: firstly, that, when Lord Byron visited the estate in 1821, he remarked `Quel remède pour chasser le spleen`. Secondly, that it is named after Baudelaire's poem, Spleen.
Chasse-Spleen's wines were always noteworthy, though the quality improved dramatically with its acquisition by the Taillan Group, which also owns Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, in 1976. It was run by Bernadette Villars until she and her husband were killed in an accident while hiking in the Pyrénées in 1992. The property is now run by her daughter Claire.
Chasse-Spleen's wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months and is bottled unfiltered.
Chasse-Spleen wines are typically deeply-coloured and full-bodied on the palate, displaying oodles of ripe, black fruit, minerals and sometimes hints of chocolate.
Moulis
This is the smallest of the six Médoc communes but boasts a wide variety of soils and terroirs. Moulis is one of the two communal appellations located on the Atlantic side of the Médoc. It is positioned directly south of Listrac and even though it adjoins Margaux - the Médoc appellation with the highest number of Cru Classé châteaux - there are none here.
In the context of the Médoc, Moulis is hilly country, studded with a diversity of gravels, limestone and clay. These are sturdy wines, but the best are capable of considerable longevity and are often seductively perfumed. Generally they have more power than Margaux wines, albeit with less finesse and elegance.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Chasse-Spleen, Ch. Poujeaux, Ch. Maucaillou.
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Blend: 57% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Merlot; 10% Cabernet Franc; 3% Petit Verdot.
There is a lot to enjoy in this wine, which we scored half a point higher than the excellent 2022. The team here found this a challenging vintage; the cooler soils of Moulis left the vines prone to spring frosts up to mid-May. Similarly, the almost tropical weather of early summer of May and June brought considerable mildew pressure. This was mostly combatted, but the yield is down a little at 34hl/ha.
The tannins are certainly prominent, in a classic Moulis fashion. But there is plenty happening on the palate, with notes of herb, olive and fresh tobacco along with very pronounced floral scents. The palate has a more open weave than 2022, but the wine has ample intensity and plenty of interest on the finish.
Drink 2028 - 2040
Our score: 16.5/20
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