Château Chasse-Spleen 2014

The 2014 Chasse-Spleen has an attractive bouquet, one that is more forward than I expected, replete with brambly red berry fruit, pain grillé and brown spice aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a fine bead of acidity and commendable weight. It perhaps does not quite deliver the freshness and precision I was anticipating after its primeur showing, although I appreciate the tangy marmalade note that complements the black fruit on the structured finish. One to watch.

Well-expressed cassis nose. The fragrance carries onto the palate to a firm yet elegant finish. As usual, a classy Moulis.

A very elegant, fresh and classical wine with a lot of energy and drive on the finish, which has a real mineral character. Great aging potential. Needs three years to soften. Real Chasse-Spleen here!

Dense black fruit. Powerful and tightly wound. Plenty of density here but the structure is sufficiently yielding to drink fairly soon. Milk chocolate notes on the finish. (RH)

The 2014 Chasse-Spleen has a more backward nose than I recall, aniseed-tinged red fruit, just a touch of wild mint. The palate is medium-bodied with lightly spiced red fruit, well balanced and ferrous toward the finish with a spicy finish. This tasted better a few years ago but is still worth seeking out. Tasted non-blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Forward, soft and fresh, this wine has a bright core of black cherry and cassis, complemented by hints of dark, bitter chocolate and a red-fruit-filled finish. 87-89 pts

The 2014 Chateau Chasse-Spleen is a solid step back from the deeper, more complex, layered 2015 yet is still an elegant, mid-weight effort. Possessing lots of black cherry, mulberry, cedar and Asian spice, it hits the palate with medium-bodied richness and moderate density, with detracting, elevated acidity. Give bottles a year or two and enjoy through 2026.

Dark garnet, fairly dense in the middle, ruby rim. Peppery, spicy bouquet with notes of tobacco and cherry. On the palate, muscular, sinewy and utterly charmless. More bone than flesh. Those who remember the great old Chasse-Spleen wines can, once again, shed a tear over this one.

Slender, red-berried bouquet with raspberry, acetone, chalk. Firm, dry palate with sandy tannins, light fruit, angular structure, bitter aromatics, dry finish. 16/20 2020 - 2028

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2014 Chasse-Spleen is starting to tire on the nose, with notes of leather car seats and cigar box plus wafts of iron ore, truffle, and prunes. The fruit is fading on the medium-bodied palate, delivering powdery tannins and a ferrous finish.

It opens gently, releasing a lovely fruit character that is both suave and tangy. The whole is balanced and has the elegance one expects from the cru.

The aromas are vegetal and the wine is green, tannic; it doesn’t lack substance but could use a bit of sunshine. With time, it will come around.

Ruby-red color. An intense, complex bouquet with a lovely array of fruits such as blackcurrant and blackberry. I also detect a hint of blond tobacco and cinnamon. The palate is creamy and juicy, with a nice touch of freshness. The wine has body and finesse thanks to a structure that supports the fruit and tannins that give it power and promise. A fine success that deserves a little cellaring, yet will already be hard to resist now!

91–93. Barrel Sample. There is a strong line of acidity that cuts right through this wine. It gives a very fresh element to the otherwise dry tannins and solid structure. That acidity needs to calm down before the wine can come into balance.