Barthod has a 0.86-hectare parcel of vines here, averaging almost 60 years of age. The thin, rocky topsoil and high altitude of Les Cras combine to produce one of Barthod’s most mineral wines, while the sunbathed south-facing exposure ensures full ripeness and depth of fruit. The vines are planted chiefly on shallow white soil (just 30cm before the roots hit the rock) compared to this vineyard's deeper, redder soils as you move north toward Les Fuées. Ghislaine rightly compares the intensity and minerality of Les Cras to the Grand Cru Bonnes Mares—of which it is the natural extension, lying on the same slope just a bit further south.
Les Cras is always something special from this address. It is like a composite of many other terroirs: the intense perfume lift of Les Véroilles, the wild fruits and earthiness of Les Fuées and Beaux Bruns and the structural depth of Les Baudes.