2022 Bass Phillip Premium Chardonnay 1.5L Magnum

1.5L Magnum Bottle.

Overview

A rare 1.5L Magnum and the last complete vintage made by John Durham at Bass Phillip. 98pts by Huon Hooke, 97pts by Halliday and 96pts by James Suckling, with layered citrus, pastry notes and fine acidity.

Vintage

2022 was a low-yielding vintage, with cool and wet conditions early in the season followed by warmer weather through summer and autumn. Chardonnay from Leongatha South was hand picked on 17 March, with yields of just 2 tonnes per hectare.

Vineyard

The Premium Chardonnay is a selection of the finest barrels from the Leongatha vineyard together with all barrels from Leongatha South. Bass Phillip’s vineyards have been organic since 1993 and biodynamic since 2002, with no irrigation.

Winemaking

The grapes were whole-bunch pressed directly to barrel for natural fermentation. Extra-tight-grain, light-toast oak was used, with 59% new barrels. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and matured for 14 months before gravity racking. No fining was used, with only coarse filtration before bottling.

Producer Tasting Notes

Highly fragrant, white linen, a twist of lemon with peachy, nectarine base notes and a hint of nougat. The palate is incredibly focused by a core of acid that provides drive and length, with a supple, lithe mid-palate. Certainly made for the long haul, but enjoyable now.

Critic Reviews

98/100 — Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“the bouquet very complex and layered with buttery croissant, honey and nougat aromas… all of which translate superbly to the full-bodied and powerful palate.”

97/100 — Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
“A powerhouse of a wine with a mid-gold hue, loads of flavour from white peach, baked quince, lemon, lime and grapefruit juice”

96/100 — James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com
“Pure and refined, with complex aromas of lemon confit, lemons, hazelnuts, orange blossoms, flint and lanolin.”

Producer

Bass Phillip is a Gippsland producer known for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a focus on organic and biodynamic viticulture, natural fermentation and minimal-intervention winemaking.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2022
• Producer: Bass Phillip
• Country: Australia
• Region: Gippsland, Victoria
• Vineyards: Leongatha and Leongatha South
• Grape Variety: Chardonnay
• Wine Style: Still White Wine
• Alcohol: 13.2%
• Viticulture: Organic and biodynamic; no irrigation
• Fermentation: Natural fermentation in barrel
• Maturation: 14 months in oak
• New Oak: 59%
• Production Attributes: Whole-bunch pressed, gravity handled, unfined
• Drinking Window: Through 2037