2003 Bass Phillip "Premium" Pinot Noir

**Please note that this bottle exhibits slight cosmetic wear / minor scuffing on the label**

This is an exceptionally rare, fully matured library release of Australia’s holy grail of cool-climate Pinot Noir: the Bass Phillip "Premium" Pinot Noir 2003, sealed in its iconic red wax capsule. Handcrafted by founding visionary Phillip Jones from the original estate vineyard planted in 1979 in Leongatha South, this cuvée comes from close-spaced (9,000 vines/ha), dry-grown vines cropped at an ultra-low 20 hectoliters per hectare. Aged for 18 months in new Allier French oak and bottled unfiltered, this warm, drought-influenced 2003 vintage produced fruit of extraordinary density and sweet ripeness that has now resolved into an opulent, tertiary masterpiece. The nose opens with an intoxicating, multi-layered perfume of macerated dark cherries, stewed plums, and dried figs, layered with sous-bois forest floor, dried rose petals, cigar box cedar, leather, Asian five-spice, and game. On the palate, it is lavish, silky, and expansive, featuring completely melted, velvety tannins balanced by a persistent spine of cool Gippsland acidity that drives an endlessly long, decadent, and savory finish.

Highlights

• Vintage: 2003

• Region/Appellation: South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia

• Producer: Bass Phillip (Phillip Jones)

• Grape: 100% Pinot Noir

• Style: Fully Matured, Opulent, Silky, Tertiary, and Legendary Benchmark Cult Australian Pinot Noir

• Perfect for (food pairing): Slow-roasted rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic crust, pan-roasted squab with truffle jus, slow-cooked venison shank, roasted duck breast with cherry-balsamic glaze, or Peking duck. Its savory game notes, sweet tertiary spice, and forest floor earthiness also make it an extraordinary companion for truffled mushroom risotto, braised pork belly, duck confit, or a curated plate of mature artisanal cheeses such as an aged Comté, Gruyère, or Époisses.