Saturday 2nd April 2022: "Bordeaux Old and New" - with David & Ruth in Hassocks

A Very Special SWAS Afternoon Tasting Event with David & Ruth. All proceeds from the Tasting to be donated to the St Peter & St James Hospice and David very generously provided ALL the wines free of charge from his own cellar. After an initial white and a rosé, which were both from Entre-Deux-Mers, the reds were enjoyed as a vertical tasting of a selection of Cru Bourgeois from Château Chasse-Spleen in Moulis, Central Médoc. Twelve Members much enjoyed the afternoon and £485 was raised for the Charity.

The White:

1. 2020 Château Thieuly; Entre-Deux-Mers; 12.5% abv; Bought from The Wine Society for £9.95

A refined and aromatic white Bordeaux blend of semillon, sauvignon blanc and sauvignon gris. Made by Society favourites the Courselle family in the Entre-Deux-Mers. [WS]

The Rosé

2. 2020 Château Bel Air Perponcher Réserve, Bordeaux Rosé; 12.5% abv; Bought from The Wine Society for £9.95

Spain, Portugal and the Loire may have won the lion’s share of our rosé round at the 2021 Wine champions blind tasting, but this wonderfully refined Bordeaux represents a different style. Cabernets sauvignon and franc combine to create a dry, fresh, food-friendly wine that was too good not to win.[WS]

The Reds:

Link to Maps

Château Chasse-Spleen was once part of a much larger Haut Medoc estate that sold their wine under the name of Château Grand-Poujeaux. The Château itself dates from creation in the 1700s. In 1822, their vineyards were divided as follows; half the property became Château Gressier-Grand-Poujeaux and the other half of the estate eventually became the foundation for what would become 3 different Bordeaux estates; Château Maucaillou, Château Poujeaux-Theil, and of course, Château Chasse-Spleen.

There are numerous stories trying to explain the name of Château Chasse-Spleen. The best possibilities are poetic. The first version is that the name was inspired from a visit by Lord Byron in 1821. During that visit, Bryon was so moved, he was quoted, “Quel remede pour chasser le spleen”, which when loosely translated means, “What remedy to remove the spleen?”

The other equally poetic explanation is attributed to the poem Spleen, whose author Charles Baudelaire also visited Château Chasse-Spleen.

Château Chasse-Spleen remained the property of the Castaing family until it was sold just before World War 1 to a German family of wine merchants. After the outbreak of World War I, Château Chasse Spleen was confiscated as enemy property and sold at an auction in 1922 to the Lahary family.

The wines are listed in the order that we tasted them. (Notes are from www.wine-searcher.com).

3. 2011 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; 40% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot & 3% Cabernet Franc; c. 13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from The Wine Society; Current average price (ex tax) £25

The 2011 Bordeaux vintage was generally poor in comparison to the brilliant 2010 and 2009. The weather throughout the growing season was, frankly, freakish. Both the winter and spring were dry with the latter becoming unnervingly hot in places, prompting an extremely early budburst. These arid conditions continued into April and drought became a concern.

A warm May delivered a successful flowering which, at the time, was the earliest on record. June began cool but towards the end blazing temperatures cooked some of the nascent berries with Cabernet Sauvignon particularly vulnerable to sunburn. July saw cooler conditions and the summer sunshine seemed to evaporate away.

On the upside, some much-needed rain fell in both July and August although this elevated fear of rot. Temperatures fluctuated throughout August, with intermittent patches of heat which, in turn, prompted storms. However, it generally wasn't enough to give the grapes the rich concentration found in the best years.

4. 2005 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot blend; c.13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from The Wine Society; Current average price (ex tax) £43

The 2005 vintage for Bordeaux was exemplary, brimming with classy wines. A warm beginning to the growing season saw both a successful budburst and flowering. Although conditions rarely got hot enough to cause serious vine stress, they were exceedingly dry and, in some regions, drought was permanently on the horizon. Fortunately, much-needed moisture often came at just the right time as both the Right and Left Banks saw relieving rains in August. Further rains fell in September followed by warm sunny days and cool refreshing nights, which were crucial to preserving essential acidity and aromatics within the grapes

The 2005 Vintage delivered an abundance of undeniably elegant, ageworthy and classy wines. Many of the top reds will still drink superbly now and the very best are likely to age even further.

5. 2001 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot blend; c.13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from The Wine Society; Current average price (ex tax) £51

The 2001 Bordeaux vintage was very good but just short of great.

The growing season was marred by unpredictable weather patterns verging from too cool to too warm with periods of intense rain followed by drought. A cold spring finally warmed up in May when a heatwave struck, July, however, was wet and both August and September were dry

6. 2000 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot blend; c.13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from The Wine Society; Current average price (ex tax) £55

The 2000 Bordeaux vintage was brilliant. The winter was mild but a warm, wet spring created a fleeting problem with mildew. However, from July onwards, a spectacular summer dominated with hardly any rain until mid-September when the heavens opened, although it was likely welcome in some areas. Sunny weather then returned for the October harvest only broken by a single day of rain, a boon to parched vines. The producers who picked early risked unripe wines and others who picked later risked jammyness. However, for the majority who picked at the right time, the vintage offered some fantastic rewards.

7. 1999 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot blend; c.13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from Tanners; Current average price (ex tax) £45

The 1999 vintage is often overshadowed by the 2000 Bordeaux due to the unpredictable growing conditions. In August the outlook was reasonable despite a hurricane early in the season and wet weather late in the Spring. Then rain storms hit with a vengeance, September then saw damaging hail which wreaked havoc in certain vineyards across the wider region.

8. 1990 Château Chasse-Spleen; Moulis-en-Medoc; Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot blend; c.13.5% abv; Bought (en primeur) from Tanners; Current average price (ex tax) £101

For Bordeaux, the 1990 vintage has a legendary reputation as one of the best vintages of the late 20th Century. The winter was mild and turned into a cool spring with temperatures only heating up in May. Typically, great Bordeaux vintages are a result of hot years, and 1990 delivered a very hot, dry summer. Both July and August broke heat records and were the driest since 1961. Rain at the end of August, beginning of September provided welcome relief and conditions for the rest of the month were cool and clear, ideal for an early harvest. Every appellation excelled in making high-quality wines. Many of the wines, including even the second wines of châteaux, required more than a couple of years cellaring to reach their drinking potential. Once matured, the wines have become known for their rich, concentrated fruit and roasted notes, balance and velvet tannins.

NOTE: All the above notes are from www.wine-searcher.com and do not necessarily agree with the experiences of the SWAS members at David's excellent Tasting...! [ed.]

The Raffle:

9. Red: 2016 Château Thieuley Rouge ; The Wine Society - won by Peter & Sioned

10. White: 2020 The Society's Gavi - Won by Peter & Sally

The Dinner Menu:

Expertly prepared by Ruth (the recipe was in great demand...!) and splendidly served by Ruth & David's daughter Suzanne:

Main Course: Mexican Chicken Casserole with New Potatoes, Carrots & Garden Peas

Cheese: A Selection of Cheeses