Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris 2021 ~ Yarra Valley Australia

Commended - Huon Hooke
Bronze - Jeni Port (Halliday)(2020 vintage)
Bronze - Nick Butler (2018 vintage)
Bronze - Campbell Mattinson (Halliday) (2018 vintage)
Bronze - Robert Parker (2018 vintage)
Commended - Wine Spectator (2018 vintage)
91/100 James Suckling (2017 vintage)
91/100 Wine & Spirits Magazine (2017 vintage)
90/100 Vinous (2017 vintage)

Silver - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards, 2017 (2016 vintage)
Silver - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards, 2016 (2015 vintage)
Bronze - The TEXSOM International Wine Awards, 2015 (2014 vintage)
Silver - Decanter World Wine Awards, 2014 (2013 vintage)
Silver - International Wine Challenge, 2014 (2013 vintage)
Gold - 2021 Royal Hobart Wine Show
Silver - 2021 Victorian Wine Show
Silver - 2021 Rutherglen Wine Show
Bronze - 2021 Roya Melbourne Wine Award
Bronze - 2021 Royal Adelaide Wine Show
Bronze - 2021 Perth Royal Wine Show
Bronze - 2021 National Wine Show Australia

Huon Hooke "Very light, bright greeny-yellow hue. The aromas are likewise very fresh and bright and new. The finish is clean."

Jeni Port (Halliday) "75/25% King Valley/Yarra Valley fruit. A savoury expression of gris that looks to the grape's spicy side with spiced quince, gingersnap, a hint of lychee in tandem with regulation apple and pear. It's full of flavour that's for sure, creamy in texture too" (2020 Vintage)

Nick Butler "Medium yellow colour with the faintest glint of pink. Pear flesh and roasted nuts lead the bouquet, lemons lurking in the background. It's luscious and textured when sipped, loads of energy, a toned-down expression that embraces natural acidity and the varieties capacity to age " (2018 Vintage)

Campbell Mattinson (Halliday) "King Valley/Yarra Valley. Rich flavour upfront but a lean/crisp finish. A wine of two halves. Spiced pear and vanilla flavours before tart citrus takes over. " (2018 Vintage)

Robert Parker "Hints of nutmeg and cinnamon accent pear and melon on the nose of the 2018 Pinot Gris. It's medium-bodied, plump and round on the palate, with an appealing, slightly custardy texture and a silky, ginger-tinged, dry finish. Drink it over the next year or so." (2018 Vintage)

Wine Spectator "Pear and citrus flavors are firm and crisp, with a whiff of floral details on the finish. Drink now. 450 cases imported." (2018 Vintage)

James Suckling "Green and yellow apples, Williams pears and quinces. There’s some juicy stone and green fruit on the palate, which is round but lifted by some nice acidity to the textured finish. Drink now." (2017 Vintage)

The Winemaker "This Pinot Gris is a genuine people pleaser. A zippy, citrus-driven French style that’s fresh, textural, harmonious and lingers just long enough. Not too heavy, not too light, it’s the Goldilocks of the whites." (2017 Vintage)

Tasting notes: "Lime flowers and miso. Crisp, bone dry and moreish with twangy lemon sorbet finish. Goes with Beer battered whiting with chips and tartare, fresh oysters, goats cheese and chargrilled vegies. Lofty goals and little pleasures."

Multi-award winning, Innocent Bystander has a reputation for delivering some of Victoria's famous Yarra Valley’s most consistent, over-performing, affordable, varietal wines. Using 100% hand-picked fruit, wild ferments and gravity-flow winemaking techniques, Innocent Bystander wines are made with minimal filtration and fining, and reflect the climate, soil and topography of the Yarra Valley. Yarra Valley is a region with a cool climate, best known for its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Yarra Valley is an hour’s drive east of Melbourne.

The Yarra Valley is a well-respected Australian wine region which occupies the eastern half of the Port Phillip viticultural zone in the diminutive state of Victoria. At complete odds with the usual, hot and dry Shiraz-growing image of Australia, Yarra Valley is best known for its bright, complex wines made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Pinot gris is grown around the globe with the "spicy" full-bodied Alsatian and lighter-bodied, more acidic Italian styles being most widely recognized. The Alsatian style, often duplicated in New World wine regions such as Marlborough, Tasmania, South Australia, Washington, Oregon and South Africa tend to have moderate to low acidity, higher alcohol levels and an almost "oily" texture that contributes to the full-bodied nature of the wine. The flavors can range from ripe tropical fruit notes of melon and mango to some botrytis-influenced flavors.