As Château Chasse-Spleen’s second wine, L’Oratoire is made from the vineyard’s most challenging plots—those that require the most attention and care. These plots may vary depending on the vintage. Like all second wines, it offers good value for the price and serves as a gateway to Château Chasse-Spleen itself.
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Eye
A beautiful, deep red color
Nose
Expressive, with spicy notes and aromas of cherries, with hints of vanilla
Palate
A crisp and supple attack, balanced and fresh on the palate, with aromas of blackcurrant and pepper against a velvety tannic structure, and a long, lingering finish
Serve
At 16-18°C
Open
30 minutes before
Drink from
2022
Drink before
2026
Food and wine pairings
It pairs perfectly with a rib of beef, a duck breast, or even a Camembert
Bettane & Desseauve
Rated 2 stars (A solid, recommendable wine, though slightly more consistent and uniform than the previous one)
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 would be 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
Rated property Recommended
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated estate (2022 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer’s wines regularly receive awards from the guide)
About the estate:
The first estate 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
Rated estate (2022 guide) 1*Star (Up-and-coming stars or quality winemakers producing wines of a high standard—you won’t be disappointed when you taste the wines from these estates)
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
Rated estate (2021 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Wine Enthusiast)
Jancis Robinson
Rated: Recommended
James Suckling
Rated estate (2021 guide) Recommended