CHATEAU CHASSE-SPLEEN Cru Bourgeois Haut-Medoc 2022 Bottle

Description

IN BRIEF
Chateau Chasse Spleen 2022 is a classically styled Haut Médoc claret balancing ripe dark fruit with poised structure and mineral clarity. Deep ruby with a garnet rim, it offers blackberry, blackcurrant and plum lifted by violet, cedar and pencil lead; gentle airing reveals olive tapenade and smoked meat. Medium plus with a generous mid palate, fine grained tannins support cassis and plum, evolving into cured meat, black olive and dried herb while discreet oak adds clove and dark chocolate. Bright acidity and a saline mineral seam keep the wine focused and long. Approachable with decanting yet built for cellaring. Drink 2026 to 2036. Critics noted: James Suckling 94 "Bright and refined"; Decanter 93 "Cool and precise"; Vinous 92+ "Promising tension."

ABOUT THIS WINE
Chateau Chasse Spleen Cru Bourgeois Haut Médoc 2022 is a classically styled left bank claret that balances ripe fruit generosity with clear structural definition and Médoc mineral clarity. The colour is a deep ruby with a bright core and a narrow garnet rim, signalling youthful concentration. The nose opens with blackberry, blackcurrant and dark plum, lifted by violet and a hint of redcurrant freshness; with gentle airing the bouquet broadens to show cedar, pencil shavings and a cool graphite minerality alongside savoury notes of olive tapenade and smoked meat.

On the palate the wine offers a generous yet refined mid palate with supple weight and fine grained tannins that provide backbone without undue austerity. Primary dark fruit of cassis and plum leads, evolving through the mid palate into savoury layers of cured meat, black olive and dried herb. Subtle oak seasoning contributes clove, toasted spice and a faint dark chocolate note that supports the fruit rather than dominating it. Bright acidity runs through the core, giving lift and ensuring the wine remains lively and focused. A saline mineral thread and a faint iron note lengthen the finish and emphasise the Haut Médoc terroir.

The 2022 vintage in Bordeaux produced ripe, expressive fruit with balanced acidity, and at Chasse Spleen the results are wines that combine immediate appeal with sound ageing potential. Winemaking at the estate focuses on measured extraction and thoughtful élevage to preserve aromatic purity while integrating oak influence.

Approachable now with gentle decanting, the 2022 will reward medium term cellaring as tertiary notes of leather, cedar and forest floor develop and knit with the fruit. Drink 2026 to 2036, peaking 2028 to 2034. Serve with roast lamb, beef daube, chargrilled ribeye, venison loin, mushroom and truffle dishes, cassoulet or mature hard cheeses such as comté to complement the wine’s ripe dark fruit, savoury depth and poised structure.

JAMES SUCKLING 94 points
An excellent Chasse-Spleen that shows fine sweet spices and creamy yet vibrant plums and cassis. Lovely precision, with minerals and berries on the palate. Bright and refined, with dense, chalky tannins and a lengthy finish. Drink from 2027.
Zekun Shuai, Senior Editor

DECANTER 93 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle (at Château Lassègue, 18 Apr 2023)
Drinking Window: 2025 - 2046
Cool and crisp, a little sombre at first, the dense tannins and liquorice, blue fruit and soft herbal aspects at the fore but there is juiciness here, good depth and lovely precision where you feel the edges to the frame and the quality of the tannins, even though they're full and mouthcoting. Nice potential with cool freshness. Calm and confident, still with enough acidity to keep the life and energy, but a touch more serious than some others. Lots to like here and will age well. Yield of 34hl/ha. Harvest 17 September - 6 October. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend.

VINOUS 92+ points
Drinking window: 2032 - 2070
The 2022 Chasse-Spleen presents a promising, quite burly bouquet with blackberry, bilberry and hints of marmalade unfolding in the glass. The palate is fresh on the entry with grippy tannins. It feels a little stricter than it did in barrel, showing more austerity on the finish, but I appreciate the tension and ample length. Give this time to prove itself.
Neal Martin. Tasting date: January 2025

WINE ADVOCATE 91+ points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Drink Date: 2027 - 2042
The 2022 Chasse-Spleen offers up aromas of sweet plums, berries and licorice, framed by a deft touch of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, with lively acids and powdery tannins, it's taut and youthfully structured, exhibiting a touch less immediate charm than I anticipated en primeur.

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ABOUT CHATEAU CHASSE-SPLEEN
Château Chasse Spleen is an acclaimed estate in the Moulis en Médoc appellation, long prized for producing robust, terroir driven wines that combine ripe fruit concentration with saline minerality and firm structure. The property sits on gravelly and clay soils that favour Cabernet Sauvignon led blends while allowing Merlot to bring suppleness and early approachability. Its style is typically muscular yet balanced, offering depth, refined tannin and the capacity to age gracefully.

The estate is owned and managed by the Merlaut family group, whose long term investment and experience in Bordeaux have supported vineyard renewal, technical modernisation and careful commercial positioning. Family stewardship has emphasised continuity of purpose, enabling sustained improvements in vine health, clonal selection and parcel definition that underpin consistent quality across vintages.

Vineyards cover a substantial holding within Moulis and are worked with attention to soil management, canopy control and yield restraint to secure physiological ripeness and aromatic clarity. Parcels are tended according to exposure and soil type, with selective hand harvesting used where appropriate to ensure gentle fruit handling. Increasing emphasis on sustainable practice, cover cropping and biodiversity supports long term vigour and helps to express the site character.

Winemaking is directed by a seasoned technical team appointed by the estate, led by the head winemaker and technical director who oversee vinification and ageing decisions. The cellar approach favours parcel based vinification, meticulous sorting, temperature controlled fermentations and measured extraction to build structure while preserving aromatic lift. Ageing in French oak is used with sensitivity to integrate tannin and to add complexity without obscuring primary fruit.

The grand vin typically shows blackcurrant, plum, cedar and tobacco leaf with an underlying graphite mineral note and a pronounced saline thread. Fine grain tannins and balanced acidity give the wines both early presence and a strong future, making Château Chasse Spleen a benchmark of Moulis quality and ageing potential.