Those devoted to Pinot Noir and those with, dare we say it, borderline obsession for this
enigmatic variety know of the Heartbreak.
Elegant and sleek, pinot noir is a femme fatale, climatically grown best on the fringes of viable grape-growing terroir. 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.
But that’s only half the story. Once in the winery, pinot noir is the most honest of all wines. Great pinot noirs are achieved by a lightness of touch and by taking great care. Finesse and grace are its strengths, leaving zero tolerance for mistakes, allowing them to be laid bare for all to see. With a longstanding reputation for reflecting the conditions where it is grown, having 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.
For lovers of pinot noir and gin alike, with our passion for creating unique gins with a distinct origin and expression of local terroir, Bass & Flinders have naturally progressed from producing grape-based spirits to fortifying Mornington Peninsula’s premier grape variety Pinot Noir, creating our Heartbreak Gin.
Post destemming our pinot noir, we cold soaked the must allowing a wild ferment to slowly strike,
increasing the ‘pinosity’ of flavour - an enthralling combination of fragrance, wildness, softness, elegance, quiet 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
Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin release.
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’s around the globe, as well as violet and lavender notes that reflects the Tuerong Plains where our parcel of fruit was grown and harvested.
Our 2022 edition of Bass & Flinders Heartbreak Gin is vibrant ruby with purple hues due to cooler growing conditions 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.
Bass & Flinders Heartbreak Gin - a modern Australian gin that exudes everything you’d expect from our local premium Pinot Noir producers plus more. A true Spirit of the Mornington Peninsula.
Serving Suggestion:
Enjoy neat over ice as an aperitif.
Serve in cocktails such as a Heartbreak Old Fashioned, a twist on a New York Sour or in a G&T with Mediterranean Tonic, garnish with scorched orange rind, rosemary or sage. Pair with traditional pinot noir dishes such as roast lamb or duck a l'orange.
