CHÂTEAU CHASSE SPLEEN

2016 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Moulis-en-Médoc

EN PRIMEUR

Gravelly dry feel. Toned and tight and fine. Black fruit and mineral. There's concentrated density, even if (as so often) it's hiding its charm at this stage. Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 89-90 L&S (Apr 2017)

* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.

The 2016 Chasse-Spleen has a very elegant bouquet with neatly integrated oak, the terroir really showing through here, hints of cedar and smoke emerging with time. The palate is fresh as a button on the entry. It is cut through with a superb line of acidity that engenders superb tension, the tannins firm but fine with a subtle marine influence towards the persistent finish. This is a fabulous Chasse-Spleen, the best I have ever tasted from the estate. It could end up at the top of my banded score. Drinking range: 2021 - 2045 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Dark crimson. Scented and rather voluptuous. Not forced. Medium weight. Very classic. Pimento and satin somehow! Bone dry. Tannins maybe just a tad too much? Just slightly sour on the rather sudden end. Drinking range: 2023 - 2032 Rating: 16 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

A solid and linear young wine with blackcurrant and berry character, a medium to full body and a savory finish. Another excellent, young Chasse-Spleen. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

The 2016 Chasse-Spleen is dense, powerful and super-concentrated. There is not a whole lot of subtlety, that much is obvious. Even so, the 2016 is quite pleasing. Scents of graphite, smoke, crème de cassis, licorice and dark spice infuse the racy, potent finish. The 2016 is a big boy. This hearty, flavorful Moulis will drink well with minimal cellaring. Tasted two times. Rating: 86-89 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

The best of the crus bourgeois have really over-delivered in 2016 and it’s a delight to see Chasse-Spleen on such outstanding form. Bramble and cassis fruit, serious tannins, coffee bean oak and lovely freshness, balance and poise. Drinking range: 2022 - 2030 Rating: 92 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)

Remarkable Chasse-Spleen has always produced high quality wines, which, for the last thirty years, have been worthy of a Third Growth Grand Cru. The English translation of the name of this Cru Bourgeois property is ‘chasing the blues away’, making it one of the most poetic of all names in the Médoc. Owned by Claire Villars, Chasse-Spleen is the leading estate of the little known Moulis appellation, and the wines are of excellent quality. Taking a look around the property (and if you are lucky, being guided round by Jean Pierre Foubet, Claire’s highly entertaining husband) gives you a good idea why they are so well admired. A large estate, although not all plots are next to the château itself; the cellars are impeccably clean, and there is a beautiful tasting room overlooking the barrel cellar and vines.

Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.

Ordering

Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.

Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.

Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.

Confirmation

All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.

Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.

Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.

Delivery

  • Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
  • Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
  • Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
  • Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.

Practical notes - how it works

We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.

When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.

Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.

One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.

Additional charges are as follows:-

  • +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
  • +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
  • +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
  • +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.