Berthaut-Gerbet Fixin Rouge les Crais 1er Cru 2017 (750ML)

91-93 VM / 90-92 WA

The 2017 Fixin Les Crais comes from vines on ancient alluvial soils, in a single parcel of 1.30 hectares with vines aged between 10 and 80 years. Aged in 20% new oak, it has a very pure bouquet with small dark cherries, hints of boysenberry and black olive compote. The palate is medium-bodied with orange-zest-infused red fruit on the entry. Very finely structured, with crisp tannin and a saline note toward the poised, quite persistent finish. A Fixin that does this appellation proud. NM – Vinous Media

The 2017 Fixin Les Crais is lovely, wafting from the glass with aromas of blackberries, cassis, asphalt and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a lavish attack, a succulent core of expressive fruit and a melting but stony finish. I have a weakness for this cuvée, which is hard to resist in its youth but which ages very dependably—in fact, I still have a few bottles of the 1988 in my cellar that are still bursting with lively fruit. WK – The Wine Advocate

">alluvial soils: stony, well-draining, with some chalky rocks

• Viticulture: Lutte raisonnée
• Vinification: 20% whole cluster, mostly pump-overs with some punch-downs, indigenous yeast fermentation in tank. Aged for 15 months in barrel (20% new oak).