Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir Central Otago

Innocent Bystander was recently bought by the Australian family winery Brown Brothers, but winemaker Joel Tilbrook has made a concerted effort to keep this wine a New Zealand enterprise. He believes that the best way to achieve this goal is with minimal intervention in the winemaking process to let the semi-continental cool climate of Central Otago show its influence. The grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards from multiple subregions, including Wanaka, Lowburn, Bendigo and Queensbury, and all were hand harvested. Twenty percent of the grapes were kept as whole bunches and immersed with carbon dioxide and the juice of the rest. After fermentation by native yeasts, the wine was aged for eleven months in French oak barriques (fourteen percent new) and then bottled without filtration or fining. The summer for this vintage was especially cool, which resulted in smaller fruit with thick flesh and skins, which make for ample tannins and aromatic characteristics, but the wine still manages to also be fruit-forward. 

A vibrant bouquet loaded with red and blue fruits, savory spices, and dried flowers. The palate delivers juicy black cherry and wild black berry flavors with an intriguing earthy undertone. The wine has a lovely weight and texture with polished, structured tannins and vibrant natural acidity.

FOOD PAIRINGS: Coq au vin, cranberry-glazed roast pork, brown sugar-crusted grilled salmon, mushroom-based dishes