Product Information:
From a challenging 2022 vintage, with low yields and of high quality. The 2022 Estate Pinot Noir has fragrant rose-violet of aromas, and red berry notes, with a hint of orange peel. The palate is delightful, classic iron fist in a velvet glove stuff. A lush fruit drives the mid palate, enveloped by powdery tannins. This wine is well structured, with plenty of fruit, tannin and freshness to go the yards.
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.
Vineyard:
A challenging vintage with high early disease pressure. Weather conditions were wet and cool during spring / early summer affecting flowering and fruit set, resulting in a 50% decrease in Yields, but then warmed up a bit through summer and autumn. Total rainfall of 428 mm over the growing period and a warm summer kept vines in good health. We started handpicking Pinot Noir from the Leongatha vineyard on the 7th March, finishing on the 8th April as ripening was staggered. Ripeness ranged from 13.2 -14.2 Baume, with good acid/ pH balance. Yields were a very low 2 tonne / hectare but quality was very high.
Nose - Vanilla/Chocolate, Raspberry, Campari
Aromas of vanilla/chocolate and toasty nutty possibly barrel derived characters dominate the nose at first.
Palate - Deep Dark Fruits, Structured, Barrel Spices
Raspberry and some Campari whole-bunch characters arise, deep core of dark fruit as it unfurls.
Finish - Nutty, Toast, Orange Peel
The wine is full and firmly structured, loaded with fruit, tannin and vitality. A strongly constituted pinot noir with the intensity and structure to age well.
Impressively deep red-purple colour; aromas of vanilla/chocolate and toasty nutty possibly barrel derived characters dominate the nose at first, and with time in the glass raspberry and some Campari whole-bunch characters arise. The wine is full and firmly structured, loaded with fruit, tannin and vitality. A strongly constituted pinot noir with the intensity and structure to age well. There is a deep core of dark fruit that emerges with time in the glass, so be patient. - Huon Hooke, The Real Review, 96 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - Red Wine
Varietal - Pinot Noir
Country - Australia
Region - Gippsland, VIC
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 14.2%
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