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 Estate Chardonnay comes from that original 1979 northeast-facing vineyard at Leongatha. The wine is fermented using indigenous yeasts and aged in French oak, going through full malolactic fermentation, bottled without fining.

2019 was Phillip Jones's final vintage at the helm. In the glass, notes of lemon balm, honeydew melon, hazelnut, and flint, with a long finish. Could easily go for another 5-10 years, but supremely elegant now.