Product Information:
From a favourable vintage with slow ripening conditions. The 2021 Estate Pinot Noir has fragrant potpourri of aromas, rose petals and red berry notes, with a hint of Oolong tea. The palate is delightful, classic iron fist in a velvet glove stuff. A lush fruit drives the mid palate, enveloped by powdery tannins with delicious flavours that dance delicately across the palate.
Bass Phillip's Pinot Noirs are some of Australia’s most sought after. They sell on allocation, are hard to find on the secondary market and the wines have been showered with accolades by Australian and international critics alike. In 2020 Australian wine writer Max Allen called Bass Phillip ‘the DRC of the southern hemisphere’. But the French Burgundian connections don't end there, since 2020, Bass Phillip wines has been owned by and made in consultation with Burgundy legend, Jean-Marie Fourrier, adding yet another layer of prestige to the domaine.
For winemaking bunches are carefully sorted upon arrival at the winery on a sorting table then conveyed to a 'state of the art' incline destemmer. The whole berries are gently conveyed directly to open fermenters. A natural ferment starts usually within 4 days but hand plunging commences from the start until draining/pressing. Usually between 10-14 days from harvest, the wine is drained, the skins pressed gently and combined with the free run wine which is settled for a week or so before racking to barrel using gravity. Malolactic occurs naturally in barrel. The Estate Pinot is a selection of the best barrels of our Leongatha vineyard of which 22% were new this year. All barrels are lightly toasted and extra tight grain oak. Barrels are topped and checked regularly. Wine stays in barrel for 14 months, then it simply gravity decanted off the settled lees. No fining of any sort, or filtration before bottling in July 2022.
Maker:
The story of Bass Phillip starts back in the early 1970's when the first vineyard site, located 15 kilometres south of Leongatha, was selected to plant vines based on climatic and topographical observations. These observations when combined with South Gippsland's moderating influences of the mountains to the north and ocean to the south, provides the ideal conditions for slow ripening of grapes. Bass Phillip also has a 7.5-hectare vineyard planted in 1998 in Leongatha's hinterland comprised primarily of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also some small plantings of Gewurztraminer and Nebbiolo, on a north facing slope; increasing our overall area of vines to just over 10 hectares. Bass Phillip wines reflect variety and their terroir, enhanced by close planted vines, low cropping, old vines with only the use of natural processes and sprays, no irrigation and meticulous canopy management, culminating to produce wines of depth, length and complexity.
The vineyards have been organic since 1993 and biodynamic since 2002, with wine production processes at Bass Phillip guided by the cosmic rhythms that impart energy and vibrancy into the wines. The wines have deep mineral-rich soils that are natural and organic, giving the wines a unique flavour. They are made in a simple and traditional manner, with low-cropped vineyards, no irrigation and minimal intervention in the winery, resulting in wines that age superbly over extended periods. Phillip Jones, the founder of Bass Phillip, laboured for years before entering the Australian market, and his pinot noirs have often achieved the highest ratings in the land.
Vintage:
Overall, a very favourable vintage with the potential to make some high-quality wine. Weather conditions were largely benign, quite mild to cool during spring/ early summer but then warmed up a bit through summer and autumn. Total rainfall of 488 mm over the growing period, with around 30mm per month from January to April, keeping vines in good health. They started handpicking Pinot Noir from the Leongatha vineyard on the 5th March, finishing on the 31st March. Ripeness ranged from 13.2 -14.0 Baume, with good acid/ pH balance. However, yields were a rather high 6.9 tonne / hectare which allowed for long slow ripening.
Nose - Red Fruits, Elegant, Foresty
Red fruits, the profile lean and elegant, with bountiful drying tannins, and touches of foresty pinot mystery.
Palate - Lean, Drying, Elegant
A lush fruit driven middle, enveloped by powdery tannins with delicious flavours.
Finish - Drying Tannin, Powdery Tannins, Velvety
The wine is lean and drying on the aftertaste.
Medium full ruby with a tinge of purple; the aromas are of red fruits, the profile lean and elegant, with bountiful drying tannins, and touches of foresty pinot mystery. The wine is lean and drying on the aftertaste. Nice elegant wine, worth a little cellaring also. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 95 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Gippsland, VIC
Vintage - 2021
Bottle Size - 1.5L
ABV - 13.9%
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