The 2019 Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir comes from a vintage widely considered among the finest in Gippsland's modern history: cool conditions throughout the growing season, outstanding phenolic ripeness without excessive warmth and the natural acidity that makes Bass Phillip wines candidates for extended cellaring. At six years of age, the 2019 Estate is in the early stages of its development window, still showing the primary fruit and structural intensity of youth rather than the complex secondary character that will emerge with further bottle age.

The Estate tier in any Bass Phillip vintage represents an extraordinary commitment of minimal yields, extensive hand-sorting and meticulous natural winemaking: indigenous yeasts, open-top fermenters, foot treading and extended lees ageing before bottling without filtration. In the 2019 vintage's exceptional conditions, these techniques produced a wine that critics who have tasted it describe as one of the finest expressions of Australian Pinot Noir in recent memory, combining the concentration of a great vintage with the precision of Jones's farming.

The 2019 Bass Phillip Estate's rarity on the secondary market reflects the demand that always exceeds supply for this micro-production wine. Bottles that do appear at auction or through specialist merchants invariably attract buyers from the small community of collectors who understand the estate's significance and the quality level achievable in Gippsland when Phillip Jones's meticulous farming is matched by an exceptional vintage.

Continue cellaring for five to ten more years. Best from 2030 to 2048. Decant three hours minimum. Pair with roasted game bird, black truffle or aged Comté when mature.

Deep ruby with remarkable concentration for the variety. The nose is intense and slowly unfolding: dark cherry, wild mushroom, forest floor, dried rose and a distinctive Gippsland mineral-earth quality. The palate is full and structured with layers of concentrated fruit, firm but fine tannins and a finish that continues developing for minutes after swallowing. Needs time; exceptional potential.