The big mover at Moss Wood in recent years has been their chardonnay. In the last five years it is a wine that has edged closer and closer to the pinnacle of Margaret River in a power-packed style and the 2019 vintage is another impressive release. It is pale gold in colour and ripples with bright tangerine and citrus fruits with hazelnut barrel ferment combined with what is at the moment overt French oak maturation. The palate is then dry and juicy – again its concentration and toasty oak are the key features. But underneath there is also some subtlety – faint floral elements and praline adding to the overall package that finishes with impressive length. It is a big chardonnay style that just needs a couple of years for the oak to retreat after which it will drink very well over the medium term.

Published December 2020