Innocent Bystander Shiraz / Viognier
spa...@gmail.com
Put a cup of water into a gallon of ink and see if it makes a
difference.
Now put a cup of ink into a gallon of water.
The reason that this comes up is the Innocent Bystander Shiraz /
Viognier I got a couple of months ago at the West Goshen State Store.
If you read the back label carefully you'll see that the blend is
actually 97% Shiraz, 3% Viognier. Which of course makes me wonder, how
much of a difference can 3% make?
More than a little, it turns out. This wine has a lot of the typical
Aussie Shiraz earmarks: some spice and good fruit (black cherry)
flavors. But it also has a brightness to it that's atypical, and I
found, refreshing. We had it with a nice roasted pork loin the other
night and it really was a winner. It's not overly complex, just
flavorful and interesting. You'll smell some floral odors and get a
little pleasant aftertaste (nothing like a mouthcoating Bordeax,
though).
I cannot now find it on the PA LCB site, but that database seems to be
growing less and less accurate. If I get a chance I'll go back and see
if I can find another bottle - to drink fairly soon, as I don't think
this will gain anything from aging.
You can find a few customer reviews, and pointers to professional
ratings at:
http://www.wine.com/V6/Innocent-Bystander-Shiraz-Viognier-2004/wine/84801/detail.aspx
or
http://tinyurl.com/2kt3z9