Today the sun is shining and we’re all enjoying it and hoping it will last because Mother Nature hasn’t been overly generous when handing out the hot days this year.  For the curious, the statistics shed some light on what this means for the vineyard.

We have so far harvested Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon.
Not unexpectedly for a coolish year, all display lifted fruit aromas and accordingly, we have very high quality expectations for the finished wines.  All have been at least a week behind average but being earlier ripening varieties, they’ve all comfortably reached full ripeness.
The Pinot Noir is finished fermentation and now in barrels and has lots of the bright, spicy fruit notes associated with wines from the north of the Cote de Nuits, a level of complexity we don’t often see.  Likewise, Sauvignon Blanc has finished fermentation and been returned to barrels for aging and during the transfer the winery was filled with grassy, passionfruit Sauvignon Blanc smells.  It’s very early days for Chardonnay and Semillon which are only just beginning fermentation but the aromas emanating from the juices are very encouraging.

The Cabernet varieties are coming to the final stage of ripening – they are all almost, but not quite, there.
Cabernet Sauvignon itself is the best illustration for exactly where we have got to.  First thing to note is 113 days have elapsed since Cabernet Sauvignon went through flowering and we would normally be expecting it to be ready to pick in around 4 days.  In an average year, this 117th day would fall on 26th March whereas this year, it will be 3rd April, and this tells us that flowering occurred around 7 days later than we would expect. In addition, temperatures have been below average, and we know from our history, Cabernet Sauvignon will need more like 124 days to reach full maturity in these conditions.  Some quick sums says this will likely happen on or around 10th April.

Our fastidious record keeping will tell you, there’s nothing wrong with an April harvest date and having been at Moss Wood for so long, 32 and 37 years respectively, we have seen a few of them.
Indeed the, great 1990 and 1991 vintages were harvested on 12th April and 11th April, respectively, so that gives us real optimism. However, after the luxurious warmth we’ve enjoyed over the last decade, 2017 has been a genuine viticultural reality check.  To put this in perspective, since 2007, the average harvest date for Cabernet Sauvignon has been 16th March, some 10 days earlier than average. A likely harvest date at least three weeks later has been a big wake up call.
Since we’re now so close to harvest, the last threat to quality is rain and given we are moving well into Autumn, we are nervously monitoring each 7-day forecast update from the Bureau of Meteorology. As of today, Mother Nature is showing her benevolent side with warm days continuing and very low probability of rain. The maths aren’t complicated.  With 7 more fine days, we’ll be home and hosed, but we’d like all Moss Wood fans to please keep their fingers and toes crossed!

We’re also very thankful for our patient picking team.
We normally have about 25 days of picking, spread out over 6 weeks and generally there is some continuity as we move through each variety.  This year, there have been long gaps between batches but the pickers have persevered, despite the relative lack of work. They have even tolerated a rainy day when picking the Semillon. There is an aversion to wet weather viticulture at Moss Wood and we wouldn’t normally work on a rainy day but we were hopeful conditions would improve.  The weather bureau did indeed forecast clearing showers but they didn’t clear until just before we finished.  The fabled Laws of Maximum Inconvenience were once again interfering at Moss Wood, as they so often do!

Mother  Nature’s  mood during the 2016/17 growing season can best be described as languid and rarely has she raised her voice in anger. We had plentiful rain through 2016 and yet any that fell during Spring did little to disrupt flowering and wind and hail were noticeable by their absence.

She gave us some moments of concern when stormy weather loomed several times through February and March. In particular, on 10th February, we were a bit uneasy when the Bureau of Meteorology forecast 100mm of rain for our region but in the end, on each occasion she very graciously took the  wet weather around us. Talk about lucky!

Temperatures have been mild, with our hottest day being 4th January, when the mercury reached 36.70C. These conditions were perhaps not quite what our beach-going visitors were hoping for but the vines reveled in them and both Moss Wood and Ribbon Vale have rarely looked better.

At the time of writing, Pinot Noir, which got us underway on 4th March, and Sauvignon Blanc are both safely in the winery, both slightly up in yield and about 10 days later than average.

It might be asking a bit too much but if Mother Nature could indulge us with a classic, West Coast Indian Summer, we may just produce one of our very finest Cabernet Sauvignons.  We are looking at a very similar vintage to 1990 and it would be a thrill to make another one like that.

Why You Should Pay Attention to Australian Cabernet

The best-selling varietal red wine in the United States is Cabernet Sauvignon.

But if you check the shelves of your local wine retailer or the wine list of your neighborhood hangout for Australian options, prepare to be disappointed. Shiraz has deservedly been the dominant force in the American market for decades.

Yet, with a bit of persistence, consumers who seek out Australian Cabernet Sauvignon (and Cab-based blends) will be rewarded with wines that can challenge international classics, often at lower prices. Just know that for many of the top wines, quantities that reach the American market can be limited. Hesitation might mean that someone else grabs your Cab.

Margaret River

Three hours south of Perth, this underappreciated wine region has long been a weekend refuge for that city’s affluent residents and surfer dudes alike. Commercial viticulture here turns 50 years old this year, celebrating the 1967 plantings at Vasse Felix. Other early pioneers include Cape Mentelle, Cullen, Leeuwin, Moss Wood and Woodlands.

Interest in Margaret River was spurred by John Gladstone, a state horticulturist who argued that the maritime climate was ideally suited for Bordeaux varieties. Robert Mondavi was a huge supporter of those early efforts. He repeatedly visited Margaret River and offered advice to the Horgans at Leeuwin Estate and the Watsons at Woodlands. Given how geographically isolated the region is, that’s testament to the potential for fine wine.

While other parts of the country can make terrific Cabernet Sauvignon, I’d agree that Margaret River is Australia’s most consistent region for top Cabs.

The long trip pays off with access to stunning beaches, a bounty of locally produced foods and, of course, the world-class Cabernet Sauvignons (the Chardonnays can be great, too). That point is driven home at the annual International Cabernet Tasting, held at Cape Mentelle.

In November, at the 34th edition of the event, several of Margaret River’s wines made a strong showing in a 20-wine blind tasting. The entrants included benchmarks like Château Margaux, Ornellaia and Chateau Montelena, plus Australian legends Houghton Jack Mann and Wynns John Riddoch, all from the 2013 vintage.

The mild climate features warmer days than Bordeaux, yet cooler ones than Napa, and the wines tend to fall between those extremes stylistically. Current Margaret River releases are never overripe, yet they avoid overt green characteristics. When the wines show herbal notes, they’re pleasant hints of bay leaf and sage.
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The result is a group of Cabernet-based wines that James Halliday, Australia’s well-known wine critic, considers his country’s best. While other parts of the country can make terrific Cabernet Sauvignon, I’d agree that Margaret River is Australia’s most consistent region for top Cabs.

Fortunately for those who can’t (or won’t) make the 30-plus-hour trip, a growing number of the region’s wines are available in the United States. Whether it’s the result of renewed efforts at quality from the establishment, upstarts with innovative viticultural practices or small producers that push the boundaries of low alcohol and minimal intervention, these wines reflect a new energy in the region.

Recent Top-Rated ­­­­­Margaret River ­Cabernets

Moss Wood 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River); 95 points

Perhaps the best young wine I’ve tasted from Margaret River, this makes a compelling case for the region’s Cabernet. Pure cassis fruit is lifted and framed by hints of toasted cedar, making for soaring aromatics and flavors, but what sets this wine apart is the tender, silky texture married to ample weight and richness. The finish lingers, with a supple, dreamy character that speaks to a gentle climate and careful winemaking. Drink now–2030.

Read full article here: http://www.winemag.com/2017/03/02/why-you-should-pay-attention-to-australian-cabernet/

The rain came close but we dodged the bullet – at least this time

Western Australia has recently been in the headlines, courtesy of some very wet weather that affected large areas in the south west of the state and unfortunately led to flooding in several wheatbelt towns.  It’s been a difficult couple of weeks at Moss Wood, as we have watched nervously while these events unfolded.  Although it is not uncommon for rain-bearing systems to move down from the north at this time of year, we are fortunate that in most cases, the Margaret River wine region is too far west and south to be affected.  When forecasting from the Bureau of Meteorology suggested we could receive around 100mm of rain, things got a bit tense, to say the least.

Luckily, we were on the very southern edge and received only 15mm.  Sadly, growers in the Swan Valley have not been so lucky.  In what should be a hot, dry time of year for them, they’ve received over 100mm of rain and in addition, are having to deal with flooding, courtesy of the amount that fell upstream in the Swan River catchment (also known as the Avon River and very famous for its winter paddling race to Perth).  Mother Nature can be a very tough mistress, indeed.

Having dodged this bullet, we’re gradually tracking towards what we hope will be a very good year.  Temperatures have been mild and the vines are ripening the crop slowly but steadily.  This, combined with a delayed flowering, means we expect to start picking each variety between one and two weeks later than average, something we haven’t seen for a few years.  Current expectations are that we’ll start with Pinot Noir sometime in the first week of March and finish with Cabernet Sauvignon in the second week of April.  Moss Wood readers with an eye for history might be interested to learn that with its forecast commencement on 10th April, the 2017 will be in distinguished company because both the mighty 1990 and 1991 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignons were harvested around that date.  If we can match either of those two wines this year we’ll be very excited.