Château Chasse-Spleen 2023

Critic scores

• James Suckling93
• Vinous92
• Wine Enthusiast92
• Wine Advocate89-91
• Decanter90

The 2023 vintage in Moulis

Vintage benchmark: 91/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: July mildew followed by a hot September demanded strict selection: fleshy, aromatic wines, more approachable than 2022.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Moulis. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

Dark garnet with violet highlights. First nose of black cherry. After swirling: a light note of tarragon, umami, an overall mineral character, hearth and pencil lead. On the palate: supple tannins, structured by a fine, enveloping grain. A persistent, fragrant, iodine-tinged finish.

Blend of the 2023 vintage

Cabernet Sauvignon(57%), Merlot(30%), Petit Verdot(10%), Cabernet Franc(3%)

Shares for this vintage, as recorded on the 2023 technical sheet. The vineyard itself is planted with cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, muscadelle, sauvignon blanc, sémillon.

Terroir

The vineyard, covering 80 hectares, lies at the highest point of the Grand-Poujeaux gravel ridges. The soil is 80% Garonne gravel over a subsoil of asteriated limestone (calcaire à astéries), the remaining 20% being clay-limestone. The plantings consist of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. The average age of the vineyard is 30 years. Cultivation follows traditional methods (earthing-up and unearthing of the vines) and the harvest is done by hand. The Chasse-Spleen terroir yields structured wines with character and good ageing potential. Vineyard management at Chasse-Spleen is conventional.