The 2014 Fixin les Crais is limited to two barrels, one new and one used. It has a lifted black cherry and wild heather-scented nose that is very nicely defined. The palate is structured and quite terse on the entry, more masculine than I expected with good backbone and a strict blackberry, sea salt-tinged finish. This is very promising, especially considering that les Crais is not a premier cru.

Here too the reduction is strong enough to mask the underlying fruit. Otherwise there is solid intensity to the finer middle weight flavors that possess better mid-palate density as well as better overall depth on the balanced finish where the rusticity is noticeably less pronounced.