1961 Chasse Spleen

This 1961 Chasse-Spleen adds to several very impressive bottles that I have tasted from this Moulis estate from the Fifties and Sixties. Served from an impeccably cellared magnum, it retains a lucid ruby core with little signs of maturity vis-à-vis other '61s tasted. The bouquet is vibrant and vigorous with copious, quite intense wild strawberry and raspberry aromas, vivid and generous, far more primal than I would have anticipated plus there is less evidence of the vintage's leitmotif of brine or seaweed. The palate is rich and slightly viscous in texture on the entry, a concentrated and lavish Chasse-Spleen that must have been impenetrable in its youth, yet now is à point . The larger format must play a role, but still, I can only conclude that this has always been a fantastic 1961 that on reflection, acted more like a sensual 1959! Tasted at Hameau de Barbaron in Burgundy from Mr. R's cellar.