Editors notes
Château Chasse-Spleen is a winery in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation to the west of Margaux. It has long been viewed as the leading estate in that appellation – alongside Château Poujeaux – and is widely regarded, if not of being at cru classé standard, then certainly as holding a place among the top wines just beneath the classification.
It was selected as one of six Crus Exceptionnels in the Cru Bourgeois classification in 1932 and maintained that status until the annulment of the classification in 2007. The wines are prized for their well-balanced fruitiness across a range of vintages.
Details
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Light (Light)Full (Full)
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Low Tannin (Low Tannin)Tannic (Tannic)
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Aroma
- Blueberry
- Boysenberry
- Herbal
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Palate
- Blue Fruits
- Cassis
- Graphite
Food Pairings
- Pork
- Red Meat
Critic Scores & reviews
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James Suckling
93"A solid and linear young wine with blackcurrant and berry character, a medium to full body and a savory finish. Another excellent, young Chasse-Spleen."
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Neal Martin
94"The 2016 Chasse-Spleen has a very elegant bouquet with neatly integrated oak, the terroir really showing through here, hints of cedar and smoke emerging with time. The palate is fresh as a button on the entry. It is cut through with a superb line of acidity that engenders superb tension, the tannins firm but fine with a subtle marine influence towards the persistent finish. This is a fabulous Chasse-Spleen, the best I have ever tasted from the estate. It could end up at the top of by banded score."
Other vintages
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Locations
France
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux has a rich history of winemaking, dating back to the Roman times. Today, it is known as one of the most significant wine regions in the world, with a reputation for producing complex, full-bodied red wines. The region is home to a diverse range of terroirs, each with its own unique microclimate, soil composition, and grape varieties.
The left bank of Bordeaux is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, which thrives in the region's gravelly soils. These wines tend to be bold, tannic, and complex, with notes of blackcurrant, cedar, and tobacco. On the right bank, Merlot is king, producing wines that are softer and fruitier, with notes of plum, cherry, and chocolate.
Aside from the red blends, Bordeaux is also renowned for its sweet wines, particularly from the Sauternes and Barsac appellations. These wines are made using a unique process that involves botrytis, or "noble rot," which concentrates the sugars in the grapes, resulting in a lusciously sweet and complex wine.
Bordeaux's classification system has evolved over time, with some estates moving up or down the ranks depending on the quality of their wines. Today, the system includes five growths, with Premier Cru being the highest and Deuxièmes Crus being the second-highest. There is also a separate classification for the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac, with Chateau d’Yquem holding the highest rank.
Overall, Bordeaux is a region that continues to captivate wine enthusiasts around the world with its rich history, diverse terroirs, and exceptional wines.
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About the brand Chasse Spleen
Long Viewed As The Leading Cru Of Moulis, The Estate's Viticultural History Is Documented Back To 1560, And Possibly Before.Initially An Estate Named Grand-poujeaux, It Was Owned By The Seigneurs Grenier, Which May Have Evolved Into Gressier. The Estate Was Divided In 1822 Due To Inheritance Complications, Half The Property Becoming Château Gressier-grand-poujeaux, And The Remainder Passed To The Castaing Family. Further Divisions In The 1860s Resulted In What Would Become Chasse-spleen, And The Châteaux Maucaillou And Poujeaux-theil.
One Account Explaining The Estate's Name Is Due To A Visit By Lord Byron In 1821, When He Became So Enamoured By The Vines That He Said, "Quel Remede Pour Chasser Le Spleen", Or Alternately Attributed To The Poem Spleen Whose Author Charles Baudelaire Once Visited The Property.
After The Death Of The Last Castaing, From 1909 To 1914 Chasse-spleen Was Owned By The Segnitz Family, North-german Wine Merchants Who Contributed To The Quality And Reputation Of The Estate, But After The Outbreak Of World War I The Estate Was Confiscated As "Enemy Property", And Eventually Bought By Auction In 1922 By The Lahary Family. After Maintaining The Reputation Of The Wine For Several Decades, Chasse-spleen Was Sold In 1976 To A Consortium Controlled By The Merlaut Family, Eventual Owners Of Châteaux Including Gruaud-larose, Ferrière, Citran And Haut-bages-libéral.
After Changing Career From Teacher To Winemaker, Jacques Merlaut's Daughter Bernadette Villars And Her Husband Took Control Of The Estate And With The Collaboration Of Professor Émile Peynaud, Great Improvements To The Facilities And Quality Of Wine Followed. She Became A Figure Of Renown Before She And Her Husband Died In A Mountaineering Accident In The Pyrenees In 1992. To Date The Estate Is Run By Her Daughter Claire Villars.