The Bass Phillip Estate Pinot Noir represents the apex of what Phillip Jones produces from his Gippsland estate vineyards in a given year, selected from the finest barrels and oldest vine material available in the vintage. Jones's Estate tier is effectively a single-vineyard grand cru expression from Australia's coolest and most Burgundy-like Pinot Noir region, produced in quantities so small that it rarely appears on the open market outside of the mailing list and a handful of specialist importers.

The 2023 vintage provided what Jones considers ideal conditions for his estate: cool, even ripening across the growing season, without the heat spikes that occasionally affect the quality of warmer years. At this Estate Reserve level, the influence of very old vines (some approaching 40 years of age), low yields typically below 20 hectolitres per hectare and minimal winemaking intervention produces a Pinot Noir of extraordinary concentration and finesse that develops slowly over many years in the cellar.

Critics and collectors who have gained access to the Bass Phillip Estate consistently rank it among Australia's greatest Pinot Noirs and one of the finest expressions of the variety produced outside Burgundy. The 2023's cool-vintage character should produce a wine closer in style to the celebrated 2019 and 2017 than the richer 2022, providing a more mineral and structured expression that will reward a decade of cellaring.

Cellar for at least eight years. Best from 2033 to 2048. Decant three to four hours and pair with roasted wild game, truffle preparations or aged hard cheese.

Deep ruby with brilliant clarity. A complex and haunting bouquet reveals dark cherry, forest floor, dried rose, wild mushroom, mineral earth and a fine spice note that builds slowly with aeration. The palate is full and powerful yet maintains Bass Phillip's hallmark elegance, with layers of concentrated fruit, firm-but-silky tannins and a finish of extraordinary persistence and mineral depth.