Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir 2021

Bass Phillip is a benchmark Pinot Noir estate in Gippsland, a cool maritime corner of Victoria in south east Australia. The vineyards are farmed organically, and this Premium bottling is aged in oak barrels. Gippsland's cool climate is central to the style. A long, mild ripening season lets Pinot Noir hold its natural acidity and develop perfume without heaviness, while the coastal influence moderates summer heat so the fruit stays fresh rather than jammy. Pinot Noir is a thin skinned, low pigment grape that rewards this kind of restraint, giving an aromatic, medium bodied wine rather than a powerful one. Ageing in French oak softens the tannins and adds a fine spice and savoury complexity through slow oxygen exchange across the barrel, while malolactic fermentation rounds the texture. The wine is a bright, translucent ruby with intense aromas of fresh cherry and ripe raspberry, lifted by subtle floral and earthy notes. The palate is juicy and vibrant, with red fruit, a gentle peppery spice and a savoury forest floor character that emerges with air, all carried on crisp acidity and silky tannins. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, ideally decanted. It is a classic match for roast duck and mushroom dishes.