Mrs. Castaing, heiress of this beautiful, gravelly part of Poujeaux, was a good friend of Baudelaire. She met him through her neighbor, the painter Odilon Redon, who lived at Chateau Peyre-Lebade. The term "Spleen" was coined by Baudelaire in 1857, just two years after the classification into Cru Classés. The Chasse Spleen, which was compiled after the inheritance and classification, is therefore not part of the classification of Grand Cru Classés from 1855. Chasse Spleen was rightly classified as a "Cru Bourgeois exceptionnel" in 1932. Céline Villars, the granddaughter of Jacques Merlaut, is now in charge of this property. It was her mother, Bernadette Villars, who brought Chateau Chasse-Spleen (Moulis) back to a particularly high level. In the 1980s, Bernadette introduced new stainless steel barrels, new drainage methods in the vineyard and steam cleaning of the wooden barrels. She suddenly disappeared from Claire's life when she had an accident in 1992, but not before she had already passed on her passion for winemaking with respect for the grape. Claire herself is now the driving force behind the winemaking of Château La Gurgue (Margaux), Château La Ferrière (Margaux) and Château Haut-Bages Libéral (Pauillac).
This wine consists of about 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Its long maceration makes the Chasse Spleen a very complex wine.
Light aromatic nuances of toasted bread and herbs, lots of ripe black fruits and a pure and round taste with a lot of complexity. Well structured, ripe and velvety tannins that predict a peak after eight to ten years of storage.
This wine is the perfect accompaniment to lamb and beef.
James Suckling 94 points: This delivers a stylish impression from the get-go with a really nicely focused dark berry nose and hints of fresh pastry. The palate has a smooth array of bright blackberry and plum fruits with smoothly cut tannins that layer up nice and even. Classy. Best of 2022.
Wine Spectator 89-92 points: Enticing, with a tangy iron note to the fresh red currant and bitter cherry fruit flavors, followed by a lingering sanguine edge on the pleasantly dusty finish.