2000 Chateau Chasse-Spleen, Moulis-en-Médoc, Bordeaux - 750ml

90 Points – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate.

Château Chasse-Spleen has long been one of the reference-point estates of Moulis-en-Médoc, producing Cabernet-led Bordeaux with the structure and savory character associated with the Médoc. The 2000 comes from one of the most sought-after Bordeaux vintages of its era and, after more than a quarter-century in bottle, is now firmly in its mature phase.

Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

Tasting Notes: Mature blackcurrant and plum sit alongside dried red fruit, cedar, tobacco and graphite, with leather, forest floor and earthy notes becoming increasingly prominent with air. The palate is medium-bodied and composed, with softened fruit, resolved tannins and savory Médoc character carrying through a restrained, persistent finish.

Structure: Classical and Cabernet-driven, with the firmness of youth now substantially softened. Acidity and remaining tannin provide enough shape to keep the wine defined, but at this stage its appeal lies in mature complexity, balance and tertiary development rather than power.

Drink Window: Now–2029. The 2000 is fully mature and should be purchased to drink rather than for extended additional cellaring. Well-stored bottles can continue to hold, but provenance and individual bottle condition are increasingly more important than theoretical longevity.

Decanting: Stand the bottle upright for several hours, ideally overnight, to settle sediment. Open carefully and taste before decanting; if sound, gently decant for sediment immediately before serving rather than giving the wine prolonged exposure to air.

For Bordeaux drinkers who value mature character, the 2000 Chasse-Spleen offers the pleasure of a strong vintage at a stage when cedar, tobacco and earthy complexity have moved to the foreground. It is a natural dinner bottle for roast lamb, beef, duck, mushrooms or aged cheeses, and an appealing opportunity to drink mature Médoc without waiting years for a younger vintage to develop.