Bass Phillip Nebbiolo 2019

Bass Phillip is a small, highly regarded estate in Gippsland, a cool maritime corner of Victoria in south-eastern Australia, best known for Pinot Noir. This wine takes on Nebbiolo, the northern Italian grape behind Barolo and Barbaresco, a variety that demands a long, cool growing season to ripen while holding its natural acidity. Gippsland's cool climate and the estate's biodynamic, low-intervention farming suit that need, giving fruit with real freshness rather than the jammy weight warm sites can produce. The wine is aged in oak barrel, where slow oxygen exchange over many months softens Nebbiolo's firm tannin and adds savoury complexity while the fruit stays clear. The colour is bright, pale ruby. The nose shows red cherry and red berries with rose, dried herbs, tobacco and earth. The palate is defined by high acidity and fine, structured tannin, yet it drinks well, with pure red fruit and a long, savoury finish. It is vegan friendly. Serve at seventeen to eighteen degrees, decanted, in a Burgundy glass. It pairs with roast and braised meat, game and mushrooms.