What is certain is that the painter Odilon Redon, a neighbour of the estate and illustrator of “Paris Spleen”, did suggest this lovely name to the estate owners in 1863.
For nearly 50 years, Chasse-Spleen has been owned by women – Jacques Merlaut’s daughter, Bernadette Villars, starting in 1976, followed by her daughter, Claire, beginning in 1992, and now her second daughter, Céline, since 2000.
The vineyard is located just off the Route des Châteaux, halfway between Margaux and Saint-Julien. Chasse-Spleen is located in Moulis, the smallest appellation in the Médoc. The estate features an extraordinarily varied terroir consisting of complementary soil types ranging from pure Garonne and Pyrenean gravel to a mixture of clay and limestone.
Chasse-Spleen’s wine reflects this diversity and the best of its appellation thanks to the fresh, mineral qualities of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on a thick layer of gravel, and the round, smoothness of Merlot planted on largely clay-limestone soil.
In 2017, Chasse-Spleen inaugurated a contemporary art centre and in 2023, Chasse-Spleen became a “mission-driven company”.
