Les Cras

From the village part of the vineyard, with southerly exposure, this is quite a pale pink-purple colour, with a beautifully stylish nose; some minerality as well as Chambolle suavity. There is pretty red fruit, with lots of detail. The wine has good acidity, while the fruit comes bouncing back at the finish.

Patrice Rion compares 2014 to a mix of 1979 and 1989 for the aromatics and delighted to have been able to pick a more or less normal-sized crop. He began on 12th September with healthy grapes, reinforced by his system of two sorting tables, one before and one after de-stemming. The amount of new oak has been reduced here, now just 30 percent on most cuvées.

From the village part of the vineyard, this is a lovely, even, fresh mid-purple with a sensual, stylish, classical Chambolle nose. The wine is tightly knit on the palate with good acidity, but it is the fruit which really stands out. Very long and lovely. Drink 2021-2028.
Jasper Morris MW, Wine Buyer

With more than 35 vintages under his belt, Patrice Rion considers that 2015 is the finest of his career, offering elegance, acidity and persistence. They began picking on 5th September and finished before the rain which arrived the following weekend. The only sorting that needed doing was to remove any dried-out berries. The yields were acceptable, just 10 percent down in volume on the previous vintage. Unusually, Patrice and his son Maxime have used some whole bunches on certain cuvées, notably the Clos des Argillières and Clos St Marc.

This Chambolle has a terrific sense of energy with very pure, almost piercing, bright red cherry fruit smothering the palate. This is a lovely wine.

Red Wine Of The Vintage
Ghislaine's very fine range of wines is on a roll and the 2008s are showing beautifully across the board. Les Cras stood out, with its dark fruits and elegant, yet taut, tannins which together promise so much for the future.
(Tom Cave Cellar Plan Manager)

Ghislaine’s Les Cras has a real density of fruit, despite being the most restrained wine in the cellar. With dark, crunchy fruit, fine tannins and a real length of flavour, this offers excellent long-term potential.
(Jasper Morris MW, BBR Burgundy Buyer)

The nose here – all floral perfume and wispy, chalky minerals – speaks clearly of this vineyard’s prime location up the slope in Chambolle. The purple fruit is initially quite rich, before the chalk and energy of Les Cras kicks in to carry the finish along with floral notes and tension. Drink 2021-2027.

Patrice explains that the hard work they did at the start of the year in pruning short and carrying out a severe de-budding, as well as a little green harvesting on younger vines, paid dividends in terms of avoiding excessive yields and consequent dilution. The dry and warm conditions towards the end of the season allowed them the luxury of choosing when to harvest, in fact beginning on 9th September. Patrice compares the vintage to 1979 and 1989, highlighting the wines’ impeccable balance and freshness (the latter he prefers over power) as particular strengths. Our notes indicate whether the wines are domaine or négoce bottlings.