Bordeaux

Chateau Chasse-Spleen

Moulis-en-Médoc

Château Chasse-Spleen is the leading Moulis estate. Although it is classified only as a Cru Bourgeois, it regularly outperforms many of the Médoc's more renowned classed growths. There are two theories behind the château's rather unusual name: firstly, that, when Lord Byron visited the estate in 1821, he remarked `Quel remède pour chasser le spleen`. Secondly, that it is named after Baudelaire's poem, Spleen.

Chasse-Spleen's wines were always noteworthy, and the quality has improved dramatically with its acquisition by the Taillan Group, which also owns Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, in 1976. It was run by Bernadette Villars until she and her husband were killed in an accident while hiking in the Pyrénées in 1992. The property is now run by her daughter Claire. Chasse-Spleen's wine is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. It is matured in oak barriques (40% new) for 18 months and is bottled unfiltered. The wines are typically deeply-coloured and full-bodied on the palate, displaying oodles of ripe, black fruit, minerals and hints of chocolate.

Visit: www.chasse-spleen.com