Bass & Flinders release new Pinot Noir Gin

Winter can be a mixed bag. The cold is unrelenting; the sunshine yields no warmth. No doubt it’s tough. Some of the best times can be spent around a crackling fire accompanied by friends and a bottle of red. Or an Australian gin. Well, Bass & Flinders Distillery will blow your mind with the perfect answer to get through this winter – or the current COVID-19 lockdown – with the inaugural limited release of 2021 Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin.

The Victorian-based label may have answered the prayers that you didn’t even know you uttered with the game-changing gin. In a crowded world of gin and wine options, the Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin stands out among the rest, playing to the strengths of the ‘heartbreak’ grape. The inspiration of this gin is to create a truly food-focussed gin, celebrating the natural sweetness and wine-based qualities, as opposed to an aperitif-style drink that relied on a jammy and saccharine palate for drinkability.

Milk Bar was fortunate enough to sample some of the Heartbreak. Instinctively, the first pairing choice of the Heartbreak was with a slice of orange and tonic. Reminiscent of a stiff Negroni yet more approachable in flavour, the bold, sweet flavours came out to play, with hints of fruity, floral undertones.

‘A combination of classic and native Australian botanicals were carefully selected to truly reflected the unique aromas and flavours associated with Pinot Noir grown on the Tuerong Plains on the Mornington Peninsula, where our parcel of fruit was harvested,’ says head distiller and managing director Holly Klintworth.

Heartbreak Gin works well with lighter meats such as duck and lamb, turkey, pork, chicken, bold redfish and earthy vegetables. I would recommend some roast lamb with an assortment of roasted veggies and fruit, including pumpkin, sweet potato, zucchini, eggplant and plum.

Bass & Flinders dealt with the challenges of producing the gin with unwavering resolve. 

‘Post destemming our [Mornington-sourced] Pinot Noir, we cold soaked the freshly crushed grape must, allowing a wild ferment to slowly strike, thus increasing the pinosity of flavour and aroma. 

By transfiguring flavonoids present in the skins this process allows a gentle extraction of Pinot’s signature tannins and burgundy pigments,’ explains production manager Dan Calvert.

Wowing all who meet it, the Heartbreak Gin is available in a 700ml bottle for $88 and is available online or at selected Dan Murphy stores.

2021 Heartbreak Pinot Noir Gin
Bass & Flinders Distillery
40 Collins Road, Dromana, 3936
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