Bass River Winery, Gippsland, Australia

- Why Liam, what have we here?

(read on...)

- Let me take a look. Hmm, it looks like a delivery of Bass River wine.

- How delightful! Pinot Noir, Syrrah, Chardonnay AND Pinot Gris. Well, well! I don't think they're for canine consumption though...

- Fair enuff. How about the dog treat in your hand you've been holding to make me pose for these snaps, then?


- Yeah, alright...


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Tasting Notes

Syrah 2016 *****

(aka “Shiraz”)

The only one of the Bass River Winery’s products to not get grapes from their own vineyards.  The grapes were sourced from Heathcote, Victoria’s premier shiraz growing district, and this wine is absolutely outstanding – very drinkable and not “too big”  (a frequent criticism of mine of Australian wines).  I understand it got rated in the nineties in the James Halliday drinking guide.  Redolent of berries; cherries, blackberries and raspberries (can you have all of that in one drink?)… oh yes, and grapes.

Pinot Noir 2015 ****

Quite a thin colour on this one, and probably more in the style of a French Pinot Noir (Burgundy or "Bourgogne"), this is quite dry and unusually structured for an Aussie Pinot; it starts kind of flat, turns a corner, goes up some steps and then finishes with a bit of forest floor.  Very good.

Pinot Gris 2016 ***

Ah, so one second of online research reveals that the difference between a pinot grigio and a pinto gris is that they are made with exactly the same type of grape (from the Burgundy pinot family), but one type of wine is Italian (dry light wine), while the other is the French take on it (fuller bodied, more viscous).

This Pinot Gris is more full bodied than I’m used to in white wines, big on fruit, and so while not actually a sweet wine, is not as stripped back and bare boards as I like.  It’s a style, but not entirely my bag (baby).

Chardonnay 2015 *****
Hold the phone.  This was unbelievably drinkable; with oak in the older style of chardonnays (you know the eighties ones – before everyone got sick of them and demanded “no oak” in the noughties); but oak without smashing you over the head with it.  Tip top.