Translation missing: en.Bass Phillip + Francois Chidaine + Joseph Colin + Martin Texier Tasting Saturday 27th 3pm-6pm + Get Edgy with Dredgy @ OTIS Thursday 1st August: Bass Phillip + Francois Chidaine + Joseph Colin + Martin Texier Tasting Saturday 27th 3pm-6pm + Get Edgy with Dredgy @ OTIS Thursday 1st August
Bass Phillip
Bass Phillip has long been known as the greatest producer of Pinot Noir in Australia, able to hold their own against the greatest Domaines of Burgundy. Bass Phillip earned their reputation tucked away in the southeast corner of Australia in Gippsland. This vineyard in Gippsland is home to deep mineral-rich soils, natural high humidity and cool temperatures which contribute to making incredibly intriguing and complex wines.
The famous vineyard here in South Gippsland has been farmed organically since 1993 and biodynamically since 2002 - all of the decisions that contribute to the wine are guided by the cosmic rhythms that impart energy and vibrancy into the wines. The region is blessed with approximately 1,000mm of rainfall a year with a deep, silty loam soil filled with volcanic minerals. High summer temperatures are balanced by humidity and cool air in the late afternoon from the Bass Straight. All these factors contribute to the intense flavours, aromatics and exceptional length in the finish, which are trademarks of Bass Phillip’s vibrant, yet graceful wines. The native Gippsland earthworm is also extremely important here and plays an active role in the fertilization and airing of the deep mineral-rich soil of the vineyards. Extremely dense planting and low yields are equally important to produce wines of such complexity and finesse - one vine on the estate only produces about half a bottle of wine.
Bass Phillip have undergone an exciting new phase of their journey with the introduction of Jean-Marie Fourrier of Domaine Fourrier in Burgundy as the new Chief Winemaker in 2020. Jean-Marie shares the same passion and philosophy as Bass Phillip, heavily influenced by the legendary Henri Jayer of Vosne-Romanee, with whom he worked to to produce the classic '88 vintage. He has already fit right in and made South Gippsland his home, with the most recent vintages being some of the best that Bass Phillip has ever produced.
We've just received an impressive amount of the Estate and Premium Pinots that we're excited to get out there. We have both the '21 and '22 vintages of the 'Estate' Pinot which is always fantastic and consistent each vintage. We also have a decent amount of the '22 'Premium' Pinot which is another step up and considered one of the best Pinots in the country (probably second only to the Reserve from Bass Phillip too, although unfortunately we can't get that one). Both of these wines are extremely age-worthy, although still drinkable young. I would personally pickup some of both and leave the 'Premium' Pinots to rest for a while. Snap theseFrancois Chidaine
Francois Chidaine is one of Loire's most underrated Chenin producers that has flown under the radar for far too long. It's time to change that. Francois chose to settle down in the little-known appellation of Mountlouis-sur-Loire with a few hectares of vines in 1989. The land holdings have slowly increased since then but the respect the land and passion is still at the heart of everything, with all vineyards being farmed biodynamically as well.
"As a winemaker, Biodynamics synthesizes a way of working and thinking about viticulture. It is both an achievement and a quest."
Francois uses all the classic biodynamic methods of operation that were popularised by fellow Loire winemakers, from plant-based treatments to following the cycle of the moon. Only the area under the row is worked on the surface to prevent the proliferation of weeds. The soils are grassed and honey plants, nematicides and legumes are sown between the rows to promote biodiversity through the development of local microfauna and microflora. This soil conservation agriculture allows for better circulation of water, air and nutrients.
All harvesting is or course done by hand, with whole bunches preserved until they reach the winery to be slowly extracted with a pneumatic press. Fermentation is carried out by indigenous yeasts in demi-muids in a process which can last up to six months. Malolactic fermentation is avoided and aging is carried out on total lees in the demi-muids, usually for another 6-8 months. The result are wines with extreme precision and finesse with the ability to age for decades.
We've recently received a nice assortment of Chidaine's wines, with something for everyone. From the 2020 vintage, we have the sparkling 'Montlouis Brut Nature' and the still wines 'Les Tuffeaux' and 'Clos Habert'. From 2021, we have 'Les Bournais' (also the '22), 'Les Argiles Vouvray' and 'Les Choisilles'. Finally from the 2022 vintage we have 'Clos de Brueil' and 'Baudoin'. This is Loire's most slept-on producer that deserves a spot in the conversation of the greatest of the region. Don't hesitate to snap some up before everyone else finds out and the prices start creeping up!Joseph Colin
Joseph Colin comes from a rich family history of winemaking in the Cote de Beaune, having trained alongside his brother Pierre-Yves at Domaine Marc Colin. In 2016, Joseph decided to go solo with his own project, launching his own label bearing his name after inheriting 6 hectares from his family's holdings. Breaking free from family tradition, Joseph is able to do things his own way, free from any restraints or expectations.
Most of Joseph's holdings are within the village of Saint-Aubin, in my opinion the most underrated village in Burgundy (it is across the road from Montrachet, after all). The sites with which Joseph works represent some of the absolute best in the world for growing Chardonnay and he aims to preserve their essence as much as possible when working in the cellar. 'Purity' is a word that he uses (and that I would use) to describe his wines and what he aims for, avoiding heavy-handed, reductive or oaky Chardonnay. Instead, Joseph's wines are refreshingly pure, vibrant, mineral and elegant.
"The idea is to produce wines as naturally as possible but without some of the deviations that plague natural and/or low sulfur wines."
In the cellar, Joseph forgoes bâttonage, filtration and fining, believing these different processes strip the wines of their soul and character. Only the absolute best grapes make it to the press. No sulphur is used during the whole process except for the tiniest amount absolutely necessary prior to bottling.
We have 4 of Joseph's wines on offer for you from the 2022 vintage. We have the 'Jardins de la Cote' Aligote for those that want to see what all the Aligote fuss is about. From just below Puligny and Chassagne-Montrachet we have Joseph's 'Les Hauts de la Combe' Bourgogne which is an excellent introduction to his style of Chardonnay. From the village of Saint-Aubin itself, we have the 'Compendium' and at the Premier Cru level we have 'Les Champlots'. Despite these being the more expensive wines in our range of Joseph's wines, I believe these still represent excellent value relative to the rest of Burgundy. This is a great chance to try some great Burgundy without paying those exorbitant prices that many of the best Domaines command. Snap these up!Martin Texier Tasting Saturday 27th 3pm-6pm
This Saturday we will be pouring some unique and great wines from the little-known appellation of Ardeche, one of Rhône's little gems. The winemaking thumbprint is as minimal as possible so you can taste what these unique sites themselves have to say. These are the wines that we'll be pouring:
Petit Nature (Muscat a petit Grains)
La Rouviere (Clairette/Roussane)
2022 Grenache
2020 Brezeme (Syrah)
2021 Ceruoan (Serine)
I had the chance to taste through these wines last week and was very impressed, even by the Pet-Nat which is a style I would not usually seek out. This is a great chance to try something off the beaten path. See you all there!Get Edgy with Dredgy @ Otis
Join us on Thursday 1st August and meet legendary wine maker Peter Dredge (AKA Dr Edge) for a night of great wine and great comedy. Hosted by one of the Inner Wests finest bars OTIS, Dr Edge will be taking over the wine list.
Kicking off from 6pm, you can come meet Dr Edge, taste the wines for free, then settle in with a glass or 3 of your favourite Dr Edge drops and watch the finest free stand comedy in Sydney. Not into comedy? Hang downstairs, grab some tasty food, and work your way through the Dr Edge wines on the list.
FREE ENTRY + FREE TASTING.
We suggest getting there early, it’s going to be one awesome evening. If you love the wines on the night, you’ll be able to get a great deal through our store at Annandale Cellars.
See you then!