Pinot Noir… the femme fatale of the winemaking world is truly a tale of passion. Known as the ‘heartbreak’ grape, this wickedly fickle grape tests winemakers’ hearts, spirits and commitment to the edge.
Unlike thick skinned and resilient varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the delicate and desirable pinot is a fragile fruit. This is why Pinot Noir is known as the Heartbreak grape. In-fact, André Tchelistcheff, the ‘dean of American winemaking’ once quoted that “God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.”
Distinct origin and Local Terroir
So, what possessed us to take on the challenge of seducing this enchantress into the stills of the Gin making world? Well, it was a natural progression of our grape-based spirit production process, fortifying Mornington Peninsula’s premier grape variety Pinot Noir, to produce a truly food-focused gin. Celebrating natural sweetness and wine-based qualities, Heartbreak Gin is a truly unique gin with a distinct origin and expression of local terroir. Sourcing local botanicals and producing grape based gins that truly reflect our home and heritage are our driving passion, as noted in this article in goodfood.com.au
Elegant and sleek, Pinot Noir is climatically grown best on the fringes of viable grape-growing territory. Growers face constant uphill battles every season, grappling with the fickle nature of this grape. Too much sun or not enough heat, extremely sensitive to fluctuations in temperature, soil and the site - vignerons are forever racing the change of seasons to achieve optimum ripeness before the leaves fall off or worse all is lost to bunch rot. Yields are often kept low in the name of quality.
The Heartbreak Grape
But that's only half the story. Once in the winery Pinot Noir is the most honest of all wines. Finesse and grace are its strengths, leaving zero tolerance for mistakes, allowing them to be laid bare for all to see. Examining a glass of Pinot is like examining the region, the terroir, the grower and the maker all at once. Only those who truly understand are able to consistently produce excellence. But even the best can be left pulling at their hair or shouting their joy one moment to the next while remaining blindly devoted. This is why Pinot Noir is known as the Heartbreak grape.
Bass & Flinders Distillery: Our Definition of Quality
Futuristic in our approach to innovation - from using ant pheromones for the iconic Angry Ant gin, developed in partnership with a Melbourne University entomologist, to collaborating with world-renowned French cognac house Normandin-Mercier to develop the heralded Anniversary Cuvée, a French-Australian blend Anniversary Cuvée of cognac and brandy, our unique process of taking grape to glass is founded on proven Charentais traditions. In our French-made 300litre copper still, we produce our own eau de vie which forms the base for all of our hand-crafted spirits. It’s a labour-intensive process but this is our definition of quality.
Limited Release 2021 Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin.
Post destemming our Pinot Noir, we cold soaked the freshly crushed grape must, allowing a wild ferment to slowly strike, increasing the ‘pinosity’ of flavor - an enthralling combination of wildness, softness, elegance, complexity, delicious drinkability and seductive mystery. The small parcel of fruit was then hand pressed and fortified with juniper spirit ceasing fermentation without the use of preservatives to create our limited release Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin.
Heartbreak Gin: The Botanicals
Classic Gin botanicals such as juniper, coriander, pepperberry, angelica and calamus root form the foundation to ground our Pinot Noir ferment in the Gin World, while rosemary and sage are used as the perfect herbal accompaniment to bridge the gap between pinot noir and fine dining. French oak, cocoa nibs and strawberry gum round out the palate and accentuate the bright strawberry and raspberry notes affiliated with Pinot Noir around the globe, as well as violet and lavender notes that reflect the Tuerong Plains where the parcel of fruit was grown and harvested.
Our Bass & Flinders Heartbreak Gin is bright ruby red with purple hues and is an incredibly complex and perfumed gin, with notes of sweet red fruit, spice and floral highlights. Sweet spice carried by our eau de vie grape-based spirit distilled on site, sweeps through the palate, opening up into brooding dark pinot noir fruits finishing pleasantly textural and savoury with juniper, herbal and oak nuances, Think fresh, floral and fruity.
Gin Pairing with Food
Heartbreak Gin is dedicated to those who love to sip and savour a glass of Pinot Noir but don’t want to waste a whole bottle. Specifically designed to be paired with dishes traditionally matched with Pinot Noir, this Gin is best served alongside a hearty meal such as roast Lamb or Duck a l'Orange.
A modern Australian gin that exudes everything you’d expect from our local premium Pinot Noir producers and more. A true Spirit of the Mornington Peninsula.
Heartbreak Gin Serving Suggestion
Served in cocktails as an aperitif, G&T’s garnished with scorched orange, rosemary or sage perfectly pair with roast lamb and duck or simply enjoy neat as a digestive.
