Mugfords at Moss Wood for 30 years By JOHN LEWIS

Dec. 22, 2015, 4 p.m.

THE first Margaret River vineyards had been planted only a decade before when young McLaren Vale-bred Roseworthy graduate and avid surfer Keith Mugford was lured there by the region’s immense winegrowing potential and great waves.

Sited in the northern sub-region of Wilyabrup, Moss Wood vineyard was founded in 1969 by medico Dr Bill Pannell and his wife Sandra and was one of Margaret River’s earliest wine ventures. The Pannells recruited Keith Mugford as their winemaker and viticulturist in 1979. Keith, who as a student had done vintages in the Hunter with Tullochs and in the Barossa with Orlando, seized the opportunity with great enthusiasm because he had been mightily impressed by Margaret River semillons in Roseworthy tastings.

The Pannell-Mugford team saw Moss Wood grow in stature and in 1984 Keith’s new bride, former Royal Perth Hospital registered nurse Clare, joined the team. Later that year Bill and Sandra Pannell, tiring of the demands of a growing family, a medical practice and running a winery for 15 years, decided they wanted to retire.

EXCELLENCE: Keith and Clare Mugford have been operating Moss Wood wines in the Margaret River region for around 30 years now.
EXCELLENCE: Keith and Clare Mugford have been operating Moss Wood wines in the Margaret River region for around 30 years now.
Believing that the Mugfords would maintain the quality goals that they had set at Moss Wood, the Pannells at first leased and subsequently sold the business to Keith and Clare. At the age of 26 and with six years’ experience at Moss Wood, it was a golden opportunity for Keith.

Over the past 30 years the Mugfords have expanded their Wilyabrup grape sources beyond the original site by purchasing the Ribbon Vale vineyard, 1.2-kilometres to the south. Today Moss Wood is one of Australia’s finest boutique wine producers and it holds a James Halliday five red stars rating as a best of the best winery with a long track record of excellence.

Two of Clare and Keith’s four children are headed for wine careers. Sons Tristan, 25, and Hugh, 22, are training as viticulturists and have gained internships at Petaluma in the Adelaide Hills and O’Leary Walker at Clare. Daughters Eloise and Imogen have careers in law and nursing. Thirty-six years after he came to Moss Wood, Keith Mugford still revels in making wine there – and in riding the Margaret River waves, no longer on a board, but on his surf ski.

A big new batch of his wines has just come on the market, including the Moss Wood 2015 Wilyabrup Semillon, the 2013 Wilyabrup Pinot Noir and the 2014 Wilyabrup Chardonnay.

Rating: Stars
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Vintage 2015

The 2015 vintage was one of contrasts. Regular Spring rain kept the vineyard looking fantastic but it came at a price. The rain and temperature interruptions meant poor flowering conditions and so Semillon yields were down around 50%. This contrasted with summer which brought weather more to our liking. We experienced consistent warmth, although it was the coolest vintage since 2010. There were only 4 days with maxima above 35⁰C and the hottest day was 37.3⁰C, so ripening was slow but steady, courtesy of these near perfect temperatures.

Blossom on the Marri trees was limited and arrived late, so we conceded some losses to the birds, despite the application of our nets. With careful sorting in the vineyard and the winery, there were no quality problems from this. Careful sorting in the vineyard and winery prevented this causing any quality problems. Apart from this, the vineyard was disease free and the fruit was in excellent condition.

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood Chardonnay, an “Oz Chardonnay to look out for” – Jancis Robinson

“SOME OZ CHARDONNAYS TO LOOK OUT FOR: Moss Wood, …”

“Australia has been producing a raft of truly world-class Chardonnay, very much in the savoury, steely, super-crisp style of refined white burgundy, but often with more apparent potential for future development than a typical white burgundy.”

“Margaret River in Western Australia makes some of the world’s most delightful Cabernet”

” Moss Wood 2013 Chardonnay:

Putty and real interest on the nose – super clean but not technical. Very precise with a streak of lime and some blossom. Youthful but already (almost) approachable. Super crisp. ”

Read the entire article here

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2014 Amy’s tasting notes

Colour and condition: youthful deep, plum red hue; bright condition.

Nose: a classic young Cabernet nose, with lively and fragrant aromas of black and red currants and satsuma plums. It has a complex back ground displaying white pepper spice, earth and tar and some very soft oak notes. The longer it spends in the glass, the more intense it becomes.

Palate: the young Cabernet theme continues with a mouthfeel that is full bodied and generous, with concentrated black fruit flavours, sitting over a firm but balanced structure of acidity and tannins. It combines great length and an appealing juiciness for satisfying early drinking.

Cellaring: this is a well-balanced and flavoursome young wine, enjoyable now, especially with full flavoured meat dishes. However, it has the structure to be aged for the short term, up to 5 years.

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon release event at Lamonts Cottesloe

Moss Wood 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon new release tasting and dinner or lunch featuring 3 vintages of Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon and current release wines at Lamonts, Cottesloe

If you are one of our Western Australian local Moss Wood Members or traveling to Western Australia, we would love you to join us at one of these exciting  events which will be hosted by Clare & Keith Mugford.

Where:

Lamonts, 12 Station Street, Cottesloe

When:

Sunday 3rd May, 2015

Cost $85 per head

– Lunch 12noon – 2.30pm

– Dinner 6pm – 9pm

 

RSVP: Reservations essential

Lamonts T: 08 9385 0666

 

The following vintages of Moss Wood wines will be served with dinner:

2014 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Sauvignon Blanc Semillon

Salmon tartare, green olive, pine nuts

2014 Moss Wood Semillon

2013 Moss Wood Chardonnay

Corn-fed chicken, beetroot, fig and cumin salad

2012 Moss Wood Pinot Noir

2013 Moss Wood Amy’s

Confit duck leg, cashel catalan

2006 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

2012 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Mersey Valley cheddar, toasted sourdough, fuji

2012 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Botrytis Semillon

Vanilla cream, lychee & ginger syrup

 

Rating: Stars
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Temasek Polytechnic at Moss Wood 2015

Moss Wood together with Hai Choo Wines sponsor two students and one staff from Temasek Polytechnic Diploma in Culinary and Catering Management, Singapore to visit us during vintage to learn about winemaking at Moss Wood and Margaret River wine region.
This year Shannon Low Si-En and Thomas Lee Wei Jie   were selected and came with Geoffrey Tai Pui Ho, Section Head of Temasek Polytechnic Diploma in Culinary & Catering Management. It was a pleasure to welcome them at Moss Wood and share our experience and passion for our wines with them.

Read more about Temasek Polytechnic
Read more about our Vintage 2015

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Rating: Stars
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Vintage 2015

We are delighted to report another high quality vintage for 2015 although not without some contrasts. On the plus side, a somewhat mild summer gave quality is quite literally great, with all varieties show outstanding colour and fruit character.

On the other hand, as Mother Nature decided we couldn’t have our cake and eat it, so yields are well down, around 30% below average, the result of an early budburst and wet Spring, which resulted in fewer bunches that flowered badly. The low yields have been a source of fun and frustration. The winery crew have been enjoying the luxury of a few days off and even a bit of surfing. Meanwhile, the French Expeditionary Force, otherwise known as the backpackers, are immensely frustrated by the lack of work, limiting their extra days for their Working Holiday visas, not to mention cash in their wallets.

Cyclone Olwyn loomed over us right at the end. These things rarely affect the Margaret River region, although Cyclone Alby, in 1978, still lives in the memory of all Western Australians who witnessed it. This event aside, strong winds are, fortunately, rare. Rain is our biggest concern such happened in 1989, by far Keith’s most difficult vintage. This year, after giving us a pause for concern, Cyclone Olwyn went easy on us, delivering only 30mm. We had all but finished, with only Cabernet Sauvignon still on the vines and even that was half finished and in the fermenters. The remaining sections were not fully ripe and so we decided to wait it out and hope for the best.

In the end we have been lucky.

 Watch Moss Wood vintage 2015 videos on Vimeo or You Tube

Rating: Stars
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