Tasting Notes
The wine is bright salmon pink with an intense character; go searching for notes of lychee alongside a brisk acidity balanced with some residual sweetness. It is best enjoyed now while youthful and fruity.
<10% ABV
Consider pairing with The Eras Tour | (Taylor’s Version)
I hope you enjoy the Pink Moscato Riverland 2024 by Chateau Follent.
Behind the Scenes
The journey of Chateau Follent’s Pink Moscato began with 20kg of vibrant Red Muscat grapes sourced from the sunny Riverland region of South Australia. Procured on the 21st of March 2024 and crushed two days later, the grapes yielded free-run juice that was transferred into an 11L glass carboy to begin fermentation.
From the very start, the goal was to craft a sweet, low-alcohol Moscato that captured the bright, fruity essence of the Red Muscat grape. To achieve this, I tried an experimental technique: halting fermentation by refrigerating the carboy mid-process. However, fermentation had its own plans and powered through to dryness, leaving me with a crisp but unexpectedly dry base wine.
This presented a new challenge—and an opportunity to get creative. To restore the sweetness and balance the alcohol content, I back-sweetened the wine with a mixture of honey and water. The infusion of honey added a gentle floral complexity to the wine, but I quickly realized the balance was off. A touch of tartaric acid brought much-needed acidity to the mix, creating a wine that was sweeter, brighter, and more harmonious.
The result? Twelve bottles of Pink Moscato with a story behind every sip. While the final product may not have been the exact vision I started with, the process was a rewarding learning experience. It reinforced the value of meticulous record-keeping in winemaking and taught me how each decision—whether planned or improvised—shapes the final result.
As I reflect on this vintage, I’m excited to apply these lessons to future Moscato experiments. The 2025 vintage is already calling, and with a little more planning (and perhaps a new trick or two), I hope to take my Pink Moscato to the next level.
For now, Chateau Follent Pink Moscato 2024 stands as a testament to the joy of experimentation, the resilience of the winemaker, and the vibrant flavors of South Australian Red Muscat. Cheers to learning and growing, one bottle at a time!