A wonderfully complex, intense aroma is the first sign this is something special. There's a rich array of cherries and berries, grapefruit and pomegranate, plenty of brown spices and a wonderfully lifted floral component. Long, rich and autumnal - a touch of smoke, some dried leaves and then more of that bright red fruit. Wonderful and captivating.

Australia’s always been a land with a brave and pioneering spirit - from building settlements in the desert, to the national pastimes of crocodile wrangling, shark punching and perhaps most dangerous of all, Aussie rules football. It is with this national taste for adventure and new sensations that Bass Phillip was founded in Victoria, a winery which takes its name from two explorers who first mapped this part of the country. For about twenty years now, Bass Phillip has been on the front line of the ‘new Australian’ wine scene. Phillip Jones, the brains behind the outfit, has been using some seriously fine terroir, plenty of patience, and a whole bunch of forward-thinking viticultural methods to achieve one key goal: to establish Pinot Noir as a real contender for the finest grape varietal down under. To say he’s achieved what he set out to do would be something of a major understatement - Bass Phillip is regularly cited as being ‘outstanding’, and is way up there with the other big names of Australian wine production. What’s the secret to Bass Phillip’s success? Phillip Jones would claim it has a lot to do with the location of his winery. His vineyards are nestled deep in the beautiful cool climate sub-region of Leongatha in Gippsland, where the deep blue waters bring calming breezes - perfect climatic conditions for slow-ripening, finicky Pinot Noir grapes. However, his fans would be quick to point to Jones’ farming techniques, which do away with irrigation, pesticides and other such interventions, allowing his top-quality fruit to do what it does best.