Château Chasse-Spleen 2017

Bettane & Desseauve

About the wine:

As is often the case, this vintage makes an impression with its vinous character in its early years, though it has not yet achieved full harmony. It has a slight vegetal and fresh note that will refine as it ages.

About the estate:

The Chasse-Spleen vineyard remains legendary, perched on the Grand-Poujeaux plateau with its Garonne gravel soils, where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates, giving the wines a distinct Médoc character. It is undoubtedly one of Moulis’s most renowned estates, one that one often imagines being classified given the quality of its wines. These wines possess a distinctive character, both fruity and spicy, yet always retaining a licorice-like freshness on the finish.

Decanter

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

The first premier cru acquired by Jacques Merlaut (1976), co-founder of the Taillan Group, Chasse-Spleen owes its fame in part to its name, which is said to have been suggested to the owner at the time by the Bordeaux painter Odilon Redon, illustrator of *Les Fleurs du Mal*, or by Lord Byron, a lover of the estate’s wine, “which is unrivaled in dispelling dark thoughts”... But the reputation of this vast estate (102 ha) also, and above all, stems from the long history of its winemaking tradition (1865) and the quality of its wines, born from a terroir of Garonne gravel. The estate also owns 21 hectares in the Haut-Médoc appellation. The wine was called Ermitage de Chasse Spleen until 2000, before being renamed L'Héritage de Chasse-Spleen. At the helm of the entire estate since 2000 is Céline Villars-Foubet, granddaughter of Jacques Merlaut.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the estate:

This wine enjoys an excellent reputation—one that is well deserved. Chasse-Spleen boasts a beautiful terroir, located largely on the magnificent gravel soils of the Grand Poujeaux area. Its rich structure and powerful aromas place it at the forefront of the appellation, producing wines that are consistently elegant and easy to drink, avoiding the sometimes somewhat rustic character found in the region.

Wine Enthusiast

Jancis Robinson

James Suckling

About the wine:

A tightly structured, layered Chasse-Spleen, displaying abundant red fruit wrapped in firm yet rounded tannins, driven by a lovely acidity to a delicately smooth finish.