Chasse Spleen 1990

As I wrote about a bit in my En Primeur coverage of the region several years ago, the refinement of the winemaking at Château Chasse-Spleen has ticked up notably in the last decade or so, and back in the era of the 1980s and early 1990s, there was not quite as much breed to be found in the wines from this lovely property as is the case today. However, they were still very good back in the day and this 1990 is a fine example of its vintage, offering up a lovely bouquet of roasted cassis and black cherries, cigar ash, gravelly soil tones, a touch of fresh herbs, a dollop of toasty oak and a bit of gentle tariness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, fullbodied and quite suave on the attack, with a good core, melting tannins and fine length and grip on the beautifully resolved finish. A touch more rustic than the wines from the property today, the 1990 is still very, very satisfying. 2017-2040+.