Typical Bass Phillip in all regards. I think this is a very good Bass Phillip with being one of the great Bass Phillips. Will I be putting this in my cellar? Yep definately. Quite murky in colour; strawberries, forest floor; rhubarb and cherries on the nose. The palate is quite delicate and feminine but with plenty of acidty and structure. 93 points Anthony D'Anna
Bass Phillip is located in prime dairy country near Leongatha in South Gippsland in an area widely known for its regular rainfall pattern. The vineyards have a north-easterly aspect and are planted on deep silty loams with a high iron content, a factor that gives tremendous colour to the fruit.
Phillip Jones is a perfectionist and crops his fruit at incredibly low levels to achieve his objectives in flavour development. Phillip Jones calls his Pinot Noir precocious. He believes strongly in a gentle hand. Racking is kept to a minimum and no pumps are used in the winery. "The difference between good and great Pinot Noir is texture. Wine flows through a pipe like a fast running stream - at speed in the centre and slow on the sides - the sheer force created by the pump just tears the wine apart." Bass Phillip uses a philosophy of low input viticulture and winemaking. Phillip Jones is increasingly employing biodynamic principles in his vineyard. Ultimately his priority is to produce a wine that is completely natural and which expresses vineyard site. This may sound simple, but such a high standard does require a relentless pursuit of perfection – and a degree of madness.
Rigorous triaging of fruit, together with an almost insane passion and attention to detail, has resulted in the most exquisite of Australian Pinot Noirs. The wines have beautiful, black cherry, floral and gamey aromas, supple, velvety tannins, underlying smoky oak and plenty of length. In recent years, he has developed new vineyards to become commercially more comfortable without compromising quality. The market is already embracing the Old Cellar Pinot Noir and Crown Prince Pinot Noir, off relatively young vines. The Reserve Pinot Noir is almost impossible to get, but is arguably the greatest Pinot Noir produced in Australia. These wines are on the fringe of the cult scene and can perform spectacularly well. Andrew Caillard, MW
Phillip Jones has retired from the Melbourne rat-race to handcraft tiny quantities of superlative Pinot Noir which, at its best, has no equal in Australia. Painstaking site selection, ultra-close vine spacing and the very, very cool climate of South Gippsland are the keys to the magic of Bass Phillip and its eerily Burgundian Pinots. James Halliday
Phillip Jones unashamedly recoils from any manipulation of his wines in the cellar, and as a consequence, they typically need breathing for several hours. At their peak, the three estate-based wines (Estate, Premium and Reserve) are amongst the finest pinots made anywhere. jEREMY oLIVER
