Domaine Michel Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge / 2023 / 750mL

The Domaine Michel Gros Hautes-Côtes de Nuits Rouge 2023 is a fragrant, medium-bodied Pinot Noir from the hills above the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, built on crunchy red fruit rather than depth or power. It is a wine of lift and detail, the sort of Burgundy that rewards attention without demanding patience.

Morello cherry and raspberry lead the aromatics, with a floral edge somewhere between rose petal and orange blossom, and a faint savoury note of forest floor underneath. The fruit carries through the palate cleanly and brightly, more red than black, with a twist of dried herb and cracked pepper towards the back.

Tannins are fine-boned and quietly firm, giving the wine a little more shape than you might expect at this level, and a line of fresh acidity keeps everything taut. The texture is silky in the mid-palate before the finish turns faintly chalky and mineral. The 2023 growing season in Burgundy brought a generous crop and a warm run into harvest after a cooler, damper summer, and that balance shows here as ripe fruit up front with the freshness still intact.

Serve it lightly chilled with roast duck, mushroom risotto, char-grilled quail or a plate of charcuterie and washed-rind cheese. It also handles grilled salmon and soy-glazed pork belly without a fuss.

Drinking well now and over the next three to four years.