I’m a great fan of these two appellations in Bordeaux. They provide good value red wines, of increasing finesse, capable of ageing. Over the years, I’ve bought a fair bit of Château Fourcas Dupré, Château Fourcas Hosten, Château Chasse Spleen, Château Maucaillou and, in particular, Château Poujeaux. All these properties have produced impressive wine in 2025, and I’d expect all of them to offer good value for money. They have plenty of fruit and extract and are well-structured and they manage the tannin density well. The palates are sappy and textured, rather than dry and extracted, which might have been a valid criticism of these wines in the past. Again, more modern winemaking and less extractive methods in the cellar, allied to improved viticultural understanding, have improved these wines immeasurably.

The following wines were tasted at the UGCB tasting in Bordeaux on April 20^th April, 2026.

Château Fonréaud, Listrac, 2025

Deep and saturated colour; reddy purple at edge; lifted spicy, leafy notes; some wet rock and black fruits; streak of green; soft entry initially; plenty of fruit, some plum and ink; works well. Grippy. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2029-2037. 87-89

Château Fourcas Dupré, Listrac, 2025

Deep and saturated colour; saturated aromatics with earthy black fruit, freshness and some minerality; fresh and mineral on the palate with good sap and structure; wet rock on the finish. Nice chew and density overall. I’m a fan of Fourcas Dupré. New label [to me]. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2029-2037. 89-91

Château Fourcas Hosten, Listrac, 2025

Deep saturated bold colour; vibrant purple at edge; some wet rock, blackcurrant and minerality; tannins sappy but good texture and quite classical. Structured as ever here but polished. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2030-2037. 89-91

Château Chasse Spleen, Moulis, 2025

Deep and saturated; healthy looking; fresh, initially a bit dumb, some red fruits emerge and opens up; typically thoughtful Chasse Spleen; elegant palate with harmony and they have worked on gentle extraction. Classical. Some wet rock and minerality on the finish. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2033-2045. 90-92

Château Maucaillou, Moulis, 2025

Deeply coloured; earthy purple at edge; ripe fruits with schist notes; some black cherry and tar notes; sturdy; palate opens up well and has all the elements; again this is structured wine with fruit tannin and acidity; finishes a little dry but élevage should fix this. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2030-2037. 88-90

Château Poujeaux, Moulis, 2025

Deep and saturated colour; bold; opaque at centre; blackcurrants, plums, black cherry; sturdy aromatics with plenty of depth and saline, salty notes; good fresh palate that is structured with lots of pure blackcurrant notes; structured and crisp with grip on the end. This Poujeaux needs time but it should be excellent. Tasted 20/4/26. Drink 2030-2045 92-93+