Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Nuits 2009, A-F Gros

One of the casualties of the low yielding vintages of 2014, 2015 and 2016 is the wine-tasting room at Domaine A-F Gros / Domaine Parent in Pommard. No longer are eager beaver tasters treated to a degustation with Mme Gros and her equally amazing assistant Eve. Those halcyon days are over but perhaps following the good crop in 2017 and a bumper crop in 2018 we may get to gaze between the tight pinot thighs once more. So to speak. Now then, this 2009 BHCdN has a thick red/plum colour with a clay tinge on the rim. Plum, cherry, vanilla, hazelnut, cranberry and possibly a dab of spinach on the nose. Imbibed this offers tangy plum, it's medium to light bodied, more savoury than fruit-sweet, a little astringent. I would have expected it to be riper given the vintage. Scores 65/100.