Innocent Bystander Sparkling Moscato 2012

Nebbiolo, Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia, 2012

Print page

From only £6.44 per bottle

In Stock Equiv £6.79 (Save £2.15)

Add

Located in Healesville, the winery is an exercise in function over form, much like the strongly expressed views of its owners and winemaking team: “Make great wine for drinking and enjoying; not crowing over”. The fruit for the Innocent Bystander wines is sourced from vineyards in the Yarra Valley as well as selected vineyards throughout Victoria.

Vineyards
The Gordo Muscat (Muscat of Alexandria) was selected from the Boulton and Duffy vineyards with the Black Muscat (Muscat Hamberg) sourced from Burge Vineyard, Duffy Vineyard, Wall Vineyard and Pratt Vineyard, all in the Swan Hill region in Victoria.

Vintage information
The 2011 growing season was the coolest seen for many years. Significant rain over December and January slowed and extended the ripening period. This led to lots of rose petal and very pretty red candied apple characters in the fruit marked with crisp acidity. The Black Muscat was picked later than the Gordo Muscat to allow for colour development. All the fruit was harvested at lower beaumes than normal, as flavour ripeness was achieved at lower sugar levels.

Vinification
Fruit was harvested at night, chilled and crushed and then given 8 hours skin contact to extract a hint of pink from the Black Muscat. Fruit was then pressed to stainless steel tanks. Juice was fermented long and cold until full natural carbonation was achieved and the optimum balance between sugar and alcohol was reached. Cold filtered and cold bottled at -1°C to retain freshness and effervescence.

Bright pale pink in colour with aromas of musk, sherbert and Turkish delight. Also hints of pink grapefruit, strawberries and citrus peel. On the palate it is like a bowl of fresh raspberry coulis with a persistent fizz and a sweet yet fresh finish.

Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

23rd December, 2011

Lisa Perotti Brown

Very pale cherry-pink coloured, the 2011 Moscato is intensely scented of fresh grape juice, crushed cherries and red blossoms. Slightly sparkling, sweet, light-bodied, and with light alcohol it has refreshing acidity and a long, fruity finish. It is pink, sweet, fizzy and over-the-top fruity...all the things that would normally turn my nose up and still I just can’t help but like it – great example of this style!

TheWineDetective.co.uk

15th September, 2011

Sarah Ahmed

This gently sparkling, gently sweet Moscato is fabulously expressive and perfumed with rose petals, orange peel and fresh ginger to its nose and juicy, grapey palate. Palate cleansing fresh acidity deftly balances the sweetness, lending a sorbet like clarity to this finely crafted but fun fizz.

The Observer Magazine

13th November, 2011

David Williams

Star Buy

Few wines bring more immediate pleasure than this sweet, gently sparkling, Italian-inspired rosé. Low in alcohol at around 5% abv, it‘s a crisp, light and fresh fruit salad of pink grapefruit and Muscat grapes. I‘ll have a glass at hand as I open my presents this Christmas.

sedimentblog.com

14th September, 2011

PK

Sunday morning wine - Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato

A gorgeous, flamingo pink... this wine is breathtakingly sweet, but the crispness and effervescence keeps it light... So it’s actually fresh and bright, but with an overwhelmingly strawberry flavour and floral bouquet.

Innocent Bystander

Phil established Devil’s Lair Winery in the Margaret River district in the 90’s, and co-founded the Little Creatures Brewing Company (one of Australia’s best boutique beers). After selling Devil’s Lair, he looked around Australia for an area that had a similar promise of quality as Margaret River, and settled on the Yarra to produce Giant Steps and Innocent Bystander. Innocent Bystander’s head winemaker, Steve Flamsteed, has worked for Leeuwin Estate, the Hardy Wine Company at their Yarra Burn Winery and, before moving to Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander in 2003, was chef of his own restaurant in the King Valley. Their winery/cellar door in Healesville is a wonderful place to visit, with the best coffee in the area, a cheese room, pizza oven and bakery, and of course wine. Their attitude is fun, but they are very serious about their wine. For the Innocent Bystander wines, Phil and Steve work with their own vineyards and like-minded growers to select fruit from the best sites for each variety. The Innocent Bystander range is a mix of the tried and tested (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - the varieties the Yarra Valley does best) and the new and quirky (Pinot Gris and Pink Moscato) that highlights the cool climate of Victoria.