Bass Phillip Reserve Pinot Noir 2023

There have been many great vintages of the Reserve but I can’t remember one having such clarity and precision, matched to a brightness of fruit. So, for me, the finest to date. What’s also pleasing is the clear delineation from the estate up to this, the flagship. It commands your attention yet it’s also welcoming and open knit. There’s a lot to unpack yet the package is complete; very spicy, with florals and sweet fruit, cedar, menthol, black cherries and kirsch. It ebbs and flows with aromas and flavours and filagree tannins (lots of them) with fine acidity all slinking across the fuller-bodied palate. There’s a suppleness that off-sets its latent power. Wow, what a wine! Unequivocally the benchmark. 98 points, drink 2025-2045, Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion.