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 and Premium Chardonnays at Bass Phillip are sourced from the same 1979 Leongatha vineyard, fermented with the same indigenous yeast. The primary difference is in the selection and the oak: the Premium sees roughly 46% new French barrels to the Estate's 24%, and all barrels go through full malolactic.

A 50% yield reduction from a difficult spring concentrated the fruit. In the glass, notes of white peach, baked quince, tangerine zest, fresh ginger root. The palate is full without being heavy, with a creamy lees texture and a long, lifted mineral finish. Shimmering acidity throughout. 96 points from James Suckling, who described it as “Exceptionally well balanced and giving, with underlying tension. Excellent.”