The 2015 Fixin Les Crais was taken from barrel and includes around 25% new oak (one new and three old barrels). It has a crisp, focused and vibrant bouquet with ebullient dark cherries intermingling with blueberry and hints of cassis fruit, maybe a little Marsannay in style. The palate is rounded and generous on the entry. Smooth in texture, it gradually builds towards a very satisfying black cherry and blueberry finish that just glides across the mouth. This will be utterly delicious once in bottle.

The 2015 Fixin Les Crais opens in the glass with a generous bouquet raspberries, plums and cassis, complemented by subtle hints of dark chocolate and a subtle framing of wood. Medium to full-bodied, supple and succulent, its ripe core of fruit is framed by powdery tannin and lively acids. This is still a few years away from prime-time drinking so readers are advised to defer gratification a little longer.

(bottled in February of 2017; production here was no higher than in 2016 owing to drought in '15): Dark red-ruby. Sweet black cherry and spices on the nose and palate. Lovely juicy, easygoing wine with good depth of texture--and nothing rustic about it. Finishes with serious but smooth tannins and noteworthy length. I like the combination of strong phenolic material and energy. Berthaut told me that she has no idea how the '15s will age, pointing out that her first vintage was 2013.

Fresh and chock full of flavour and density. Masses of personality. GV (JR)

Cask sample. Mid cherry red. Smells soft and dark fruited. Tastes remarkably soft but deep too. Lots of fruit and rounded tannins. (JH)