CHÂTEAU CHASSE SPLEEN
2019 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel Moulis-en-Médoc
Chasse Spleen not afraid of acidity and tannin. As long as acid is balanced with ripeness - and tannins are supple, it certainly works this year. This is attractive and easy to like. It does have angles and some shoulders - but the fruit is pretty - lots of mature cherry, some rose petals too - nice feel. This lacks the polish of some grander names not surprisingly, but is full of charm and spirit. A good effort give it 5 years at least. 52% Cabernet, 40 Merlot, 6 Petit Verdot & 2 Cabernet Franc. Less than 40% New Oak. L&S (Jun 2020)
* 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 2019 Chasse-Spleen has a well-defined bouquet with blackberry and bilberry fruit, undergrowth and tobacco - classic Médoc really. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of feisty red fruit, modest depth and showing some austerity towards the finish. A more cerebral Left Bank 2019, though I would have liked a bit more persistence. This might be entering an awkward adolescence. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)
The 2019 Chasse-Spleen is super-classy right out of the gate. Medium in body and articulate, the 2019 impresses with its persistence and impeccable overall balance. Dried leaves, tobacco, mint, herbs and bright red-fleshed fruit all come together, while attractive floral and spice notes extend the finish. What a beautiful wine this is. Drinking range: 2024 - 2039 Rating: 91 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Chasse-Spleen is very perfumed on the nose, offering vivid brambly red fruit, leather, undergrowth and cedar aromas that gain intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and cohesive, with a sappy opening and fine acidity. Lightly spiced, showing plenty of substance on the finish. While not the most consistent estate, Chasse-Spleen has it in its grasp to make great wines, and the 2019 is one of them. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 93 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2022)
The 2019 Chasse-Spleen is tight-fisted on the nose despite leaving my sample three or four hours to open. But I do appreciate the fruit profile: blackberry, wild strawberry, cedar and light tobacco scents almost reluctantly unfurling. The palate looks promising, classic in style, not reserved but not wanting to show off at this early stage. Fresh from the start, the acidity is well judged and it has an appealing grainy texture. It is detailed with touches of graphite lingering on the aftertaste. Excellent. Drinking range: 2025 - 2050 Rating: 92-94 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Jun 2020)
Well judged Chasse Spleen with a ton of personality and flavour. Always one of the more confident and muscled wines in the appellation, this stops a little short as the tannins close in but there is no shortage of personality to get stuck in to here, and a thoroughly attractive juice that runs right through the body of the wine. 2% Cabernet Franc completes the blend. A yield of 48hl/ha. Drinking range: 2024 - 2040 Rating: 92 Jane Anson, Decanter (Jun 2020)
Château Chasse Spleen
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 on the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do contact our private client team via email or on 020 7018 0187.
Ordering
Prices are all in bond by the case size stated.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment to buy wines on release, as long as the release price is within the upper and lower price bands set by you on the pre-order form. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability but providing this firm commitment to buy effectively gives you priority and is a good idea for the most desirable wines.
Wines listed on the website can be ordered in the usual way via the website wishlist order form. You can also send orders directly to our private client team via email. Please note that, for the most sought-after wines, priority will be given to those who ordered the same wines last year and to those that have pre-ordered.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of email confirmation. Pre-orders are not binding if the release price is above your upper price band.
Invoices are all raised at the in bond price (excluding any duty and VAT) which will become payable at the prevailing rates when the wines arrive in the UK, should you wish to take duty paid delivery.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We regret we cannot accept credit cards for en primeur orders. We reserve the right to apply a dunning charge of 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (at 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 £500. Orders below this total will be charged an administration and handling fee of £16.50+ VAT when invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery of 2023 Bordeaux bought en primeur is expected during 2026. Delivery dates may vary as wines are shipped from Bordeaux at different times.
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). Immediate payment of invoices is then required by cash, cheque, debit card or bank transfer. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option but please note that confirmed orders are still binding even if the final invoice has not yet been issued.
Please specify on your wishlist order form where you would like the wines shipped on arrival in the UK. If this is to a third-party bonded warehouse, please specify the relevant account details. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue a second invoice for duty and VAT at the prevailing rate when the wines are available for delivery.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the format you want. While most of our listings are for 75cl bottles, we can source wines in any format that is offered by the Château. Please note that format requests cannot be changed once wines have been invoiced. Additional charges for special formats do apply and are as follows:-
- +£18.00 per case of 12 half-bottles
- +£30.00 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£7.50 per case of 3 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£11.00 per case of 6 Magnums
- +£45.00 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£60.00 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.
Storage Options:
Wines bought en primeur won't arrive in the UK until 2026. If you do not wish to take home delivery at that point, you may wish to consider where you would like the wines shipped. Lea & Sandeman offers duty paid and in bond storage through a dedicated storage company called Elephant Storage. For more details on the terms and fees associated with storage please go to our Storage Homepage or contact our private client team for more information.