Bass Phillip's Premium Chardonnay occupies the second tier of the estate's white wine range, below the Estate Reserve and above the entry-level Village expression. Produced from Gippsland Chardonnay grown in the same cool maritime climate that distinguishes Phillip Jones's Pinot Noir, the Premium Chardonnay demonstrates the potential of this underappreciated region for producing structured, mineral and age-worthy white Burgundy-style wines at the far southeast of Australia.

The 2022 vintage in Gippsland brought warm conditions relative to the region's typical cool profile, and for Chardonnay the year's warmth delivered wines of greater richness and textural weight than the cooler, more linear 2021 or 2019. Bass Phillip's approach to Chardonnay mirrors the minimal-intervention philosophy applied to the Pinot Noir: low yields, indigenous yeast fermentation, extended lees contact and restrained new-oak ageing that allows the fruit and terroir to dominate over winemaking.

Gippsland's Chardonnay has attracted growing critical and collector interest as producers like Bass Phillip demonstrate the region's genuine world-class potential. The combination of cool temperatures, limestone-influenced soils and low-yield viticulture produces wines with the natural freshness, minerality and concentration that made white Burgundy famous, but from a radically different terroir context. Bass Phillip's Premium Chardonnay is among the best representatives of this emerging Australian style.

Drink from 2025 to 2033. Pair with grilled turbot, lobster, aged Parmesan or truffle-enriched pasta. Serve at 12 degrees Celsius in a broad white Burgundy glass.

Pale gold with green tints. The nose shows white peach, pear, lemon curd, hazelnut and a fine mineral note from the Gippsland limestone terroir. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a creamy texture, vibrant acidity and a long, mineral-saline finish. More generous than previous vintages; the 2022 warmth provides immediate richness alongside the usual Bass Phillip precision.