Bass Phillip
Premium Chardonnay
Gippsland, Victoria, Australia
See previous note from September 2022. Great palate intensity - generous flavours of ripe stone fruit - yellow peach. Not quite as full bodied as Art Series Chardonnay but more generous than a lot of the also excellent Yarra Valley Chardonnays which tend to be more struck match reductive. Rich and creamy palate texture - ripe peach. Drinking at its peak.
See previous note from September 2022. Great palate intensity - generous flavours of ripe stone fruit - yellow peach. Not quite as full bodied as Art Series Chardonnay but more generous than a lot of the also excellent Yarra Valley Chardonnays which tend to be more struck match reductive. Rich and creamy palate texture - ripe peach. Drinking at its peak.
Jun 5th, 2023Bass Phillip is arguably the best producer of Pinot Noir in Australia so you would expect he would produce an excellent Chardonnay - and he does. This had full buttercup yellow in colour. Big and generous - rich and buttery with ripe fruit and integrated oak. Some notes of pear amongst the stone fruit. Somewhat old fashioned in style.
Bass Phillip is arguably the best producer of Pinot Noir in Australia so you would expect he would produce an excellent Chardonnay - and he does. This had full buttercup yellow in colour. Big and generous - rich and buttery with ripe fruit and integrated oak. Some notes of pear amongst the stone fruit. Somewhat old fashioned in style.
Sep 9th, 2022It was interesting to compare this top Australian Chardonnay with the Dry River from New Zealand. A similar age and similar price. Straw yellow plus in colour. The nose is more citric than stone fruit with a note of roasted nuts. On the palate baked lemon with a noticeable saline note. Medium acid. Subtly. different to the Dry River - the Bass Phillip is slightly more fulsome but overall not much in it. I would call it a dead heat at 95 points each. Both are excellent.
It was interesting to compare this top Australian Chardonnay with the Dry River from New Zealand. A similar age and similar price. Straw yellow plus in colour. The nose is more citric than stone fruit with a note of roasted nuts. On the palate baked lemon with a noticeable saline note. Medium acid. Subtly. different to the Dry River - the Bass Phillip is slightly more fulsome but overall not much in it. I would call it a dead heat at 95 points each. Both are excellent.
May 30th, 2021Previous notes apply. Lemon pith on nose with yellow peach, quince and a little funk. Really well made with excellent intensity. Consistent with that sooty note from previous description. A well judged balance of opulent peachy fruit, oak, minerality and natural acidity. An outstanding Chardonnay. Postscript Edit: Only 100 dozen made.
Previous notes apply. Lemon pith on nose with yellow peach, quince and a little funk. Really well made with excellent intensity. Consistent with that sooty note from previous description. A well judged balance of opulent peachy fruit, oak, minerality and natural acidity. An outstanding Chardonnay. Postscript Edit: Only 100 dozen made.
Dec 15th, 2020Previous notes apply. Just medium weight Very citrus and pronounced acidity (surely not added?). Phillip Jones is a big proponent of natural acidity with his Pinots so you would think this was natural. Next day - too much acidity and vanilla oak to be a top Chardonnay in particular for an $87 wine. I have had better from this producer.
Previous notes apply. Just medium weight Very citrus and pronounced acidity (surely not added?). Phillip Jones is a big proponent of natural acidity with his Pinots so you would think this was natural. Next day - too much acidity and vanilla oak to be a top Chardonnay in particular for an $87 wine. I have had better from this producer.
Aug 29th, 2020Mid yellow in colour. Aromas of lemon with yellow peach and a hint of sulphides. A gravelly minerality. On the palate an opulent style - generous in the mouth. Medium to full bodied - never becomes cloying because of Phillip’s penchant for natural acidity. The following night a strange sooty note I took to be sulphidic or oak derived. An impressive old school type Chardonnay. Phillip Jones, a great producer of Pinot Noir, unsurprisingly makes excellent Chardonnay.
Mid yellow in colour. Aromas of lemon with yellow peach and a hint of sulphides. A gravelly minerality. On the palate an opulent style - generous in the mouth. Medium to full bodied - never becomes cloying because of Phillip’s penchant for natural acidity. The following night a strange sooty note I took to be sulphidic or oak derived. An impressive old school type Chardonnay. Phillip Jones, a great producer of Pinot Noir, unsurprisingly makes excellent Chardonnay.
May 15th, 2020Pale to mid Lemon in colour. Citrus and French Oak aromas with some leesy Notes. On the palate citrus again - Lemon and Lime. Made by Phillip Jones, arguably the best producer of Pinot Noir in Australia. To be honest this doesn’t live up to the quality of his Pinots. Lacking in complexity for an $87 wine - not good QPR.
Pale to mid Lemon in colour. Citrus and French Oak aromas with some leesy Notes. On the palate citrus again - Lemon and Lime. Made by Phillip Jones, arguably the best producer of Pinot Noir in Australia. To be honest this doesn’t live up to the quality of his Pinots. Lacking in complexity for an $87 wine - not good QPR.
1 person found it helpfulSep 15th, 2019
2010 and some Botrytis. A little tired.
2010 and some Botrytis. A little tired.
Feb 26th, 2017
Buttery, smooth, luminescent, yellow fruits, waow 🤩
Buttery, smooth, luminescent, yellow fruits, waow 🤩
Apr 15th, 2023
Similar quality to Heytesbury; more mineral, slightly less rich. Closer to Puligny than Meursault.
Similar quality to Heytesbury; more mineral, slightly less rich. Closer to Puligny than Meursault.
Jan 29th, 2013