Château Chasse-Spleen 2021

Fragrant, with cherries and floral notes, almost Margaux. Slender palate, red fruit, fine tannins, juicy acidity. Dance-like lightness, almost Burgundian on the finish.

Offering up aromas of dark berries, pencil shavings and pipe tobacco, the 2021 Chasse-Spleen is medium-bodied, fleshy and polished, with a lively core of fruit, ripe tannins and a seamless profile, concluding with a delicately minty finish.

Such a pretty nose with raspberries and rose petals. Bright and supple, with nice energy right from the start—lively and juicy—though it’s missing a bit of drive and length on the finish. It opens nicely with vivid strawberries and red cherries before a mineral, wet-stone note comes into play. I love the initial juiciness, even if it fades, but the lingering salty, stony minerality is lovely. Straight and lean; I’d like a bit more push and mid-palate depth, but perhaps it will broaden with time.

53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot. Darkish crimson. Lots of pure dark fruit and a light impression of stone dust (in a good way). Dry and leafy on the palate, relatively soft tannins. Smooth, dark and seems scented on the finish, perhaps the Petit Verdot? Light but harmonious. (JH)

The 2021 Chasse-Spleen has a light, rather airy bouquet that needs more fruit concentration, revealing fleeting notes of cedar and tobacco that never really linger. The palate is medium-bodied and balanced, with a fine thread of acidity. There is freshness here, but little weight and grip, so it comes across as an “outline” of a Chasse-Spleen.

Strong underbrush, leafy tobacco, herbs, olives and cedar notes accompany the bright red fruits on the medium-bodied, chewy, peppery-spiced palate. Drink from 2023-2038. 89-90

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Fresh black cherries, hints of blackberries, tobacco and a pleasant herbal savouriness. Medium complexity with dense cherries on the palate, ripe tannins, fresh structure and accessible. A lively food companion.

Spicy red and black fruits, cedar pencil, and leafy herb notes all emerge from the 2021 Château Chasse-Spleen, another charming, mid-weight yet elegant 2021 with soft, nicely integrated tannins and a good finish. Drink bottles over the coming decade or so.

Bright cherry red in colour, this has the vibrant berry fruit that is characteristic of the vintage, plenty of momentum through the palate, layered with mandarin and orange peel that shows acidity without being tart. A little short on the finish, but sleek and polished. 107ha estate owned by Celine Villars-Foubet, tasted twice.

The 2021 Chasse-Spleen has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It is a tad subdued on the nose, offering broody notes of damp soil and bay leaves, before scents of redcurrant jelly and Morello cherry emerge. The medium-bodied palate has soft, well-managed tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the pure red berry fruit, finishing savory.

The 2021 is delicious and smooth, with notes of fresh red fruits. With mellow, supple tannins, it is already very approachable. A wine that can already be enjoyed.

A shy yet slightly playful nose, with delicate notes of a rosebush about to bloom and freshly picked small fruits. Precise, pure and silky on the palate, with lovely balance. The vintage’s excesses have been well controlled.

The nose is fruity and offers fine grain, moderate intensity, and elegance. It reveals notes of juicy blackberry, fleshy raspberry, and, more delicately, vibrant cherry, together with fine hints of violet, discreet touches of fresh blond tobacco, and a subtle note of almond and cinnamon. The palate is fruity and offers juiciness, smoothness, freshness, good definition, elegance, indulgence, and lovely finesse in its straightness. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackcurrant, cherry, and, more delicately, violet, joined by touches of lily, bright small berries, zan, as well as a subtle hint of eucalyptus and chocolate. The tannins are precise and supple. Good length.

Dark color, of normal intensity. Discreet, fruity nose. On the palate, the flavor is very good, but the body remains modest. Medium length.