Bass Philip
Premium Pinot Noir
Victoria
2022

The producer

Bass Phillip is one of Australia’s most iconic and revered Pinot Noir producers, located in the cool, maritime climate of South Gippsland, Victoria. Founded in 1979 by the visionary Phillip Jones, the estate quickly earned a cult following for crafting deeply expressive, Burgundian-inspired wines that captured the nuance and complexity of site. Situated just a few kilometres from the Southern Ocean, the vineyards benefit from a long, gentle growing season and are planted on ancient, mineral-rich soils ideally suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Farmed organically and biodynamically for decades, Bass Phillip has long championed low-intervention viticulture and winemaking, with an emphasis on vine health, low yields, and purity of expression. The wines are known for their haunting aromatics, silken texture, and remarkable depth, combining power with elegance in a style that has drawn comparisons to the great domaines of Burgundy. Following the estate’s acquisition by Jean-Marie Fourrier of Domaine Fourrier in Gevrey-Chambertin, Bass Phillip has entered an exciting new chapter while remaining faithful to the philosophy and character that made it legendary among collectors and fine wine enthusiasts worldwide.

The wine

ass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir is sourced from estate vineyards in South Gippsland, Victoria, one of Australia’s most revered cool-climate regions for Pinot Noir. Established by Phillip Jones and now under the stewardship of renowned Burgundian vigneron Jean-Marie Fourrier, Bass Phillip is celebrated for crafting wines of exceptional purity and terroir expression through biodynamic viticulture, low-intervention winemaking, and a deep respect for the land. The region’s maritime influence, extended growing season, and mineral-rich soils contribute to the slow, even ripening of fruit, resulting in wines of remarkable finesse and complexity.

Bass Phillip Premium Pinot Noir is elegant and finely detailed, offering lifted aromas of red cherry, wild strawberry, cranberry, and rose petal, layered with subtle notes of spice, dried herbs, and forest floor. The palate is supple and refined, with silky tannins, vibrant acidity, and a seamless texture that carries through to a long, savoury finish. Balancing freshness, depth, and understated power, it is a beautifully expressive Pinot Noir that captures the distinctive character of Gippsland and Bass Phillip’s commitment to producing authentic, site-driven wines.

We choose our wines based on a range of criteria (see how we choose our wines) of which critic scores is just one. Rather than simply highlight the best score to promote a wine, our average critic score is calculated from the scores provided by several respected wine critics, who we follow for specific regions. They do not represent all critic scores and, wherever possible, we try and give more weight to more recent reviews. Where appropriate we consider market-based scores like Global Wine Score or Wine Searcher Average scores.

As a rule, we look to offer wines that achieve a 92/100 average critic score or better and frankly a lot of very good wines simply don’t make the cut. As a high-end provider we want to reflect that positioning in the quality of wines we offer. Such wines are only a tiny fraction of those generally on offer in the market. We believe that an average score is a more conservative and representative approach, but it is still subjective and only offered as a guide to our customers, who will (and should) do their own research. We will add individual critic scores to our website in the future.