Phillip Jones founded Bass Phillip in South Gippsland in 1979, inspired by the wines of Henri Jayer. He spent four decades making some of Australia's most Burgundian pinot noir and chardonnay on a northeast-facing block of volcanic soil at Leongatha. In 2020, he sold to Jean-Marie Fourrier of Domaine Fourrier in Gevrey-Chambertin, who trained under Jayer himself and worked his legendary 1988 harvest.

The Premium Pinot Noir comes from the best rows of the original 1979 Estate Vineyard: four northeast-facing hectares of silty loam over volcanic bedrock. It's fermented with indigenous yeasts in open fermenters, gravity-racked into French Allier barriques for 18 months, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

In the glass, notes of sun-warmed black cherry, pomegranate, violet leaf, a savory thread of dried porcini mushroom and humus. Dense but precise on the palate, and tannins described by Wine Enthusiast as “beautifully textured like a cat's tongue.” A smoky mineral edge throughout the long finish. 97 points from Wine Enthusiast and 95 from James Suckling, who called it “stunning.” We agree. Drink between now and 2030.