June, 2023
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Mid-straw, bright and inviting. Lifted aromas of grapefruit, white flowers, sweet spice, nougat and green melon. Complex, layered, mouth-filling rich and creamy. There’s a pure drive of white peach, citrus and nutty, complexing oak. Generous, long and quite delicious.
Drink: 2023-2028
June, 2023
Deep garnet red in the glass, very youthful, inky and opaque. Lovely lifted aromas of cassis, bramble, dried herbs, pencil shavings and nutty oak, wonderfully complex and incredibly evocative. Powerful on the palate, lashings of blackcurrant, mulberry, blackberry and cedar. This is quintessential Margaret River cabernet, not too heavy or angular, just the right amount of sinewy, shapely tannin working superbly with a very pure drive of fruit and delivering fabulous length. Destined for a long and glorious life.
Drink: 2023–2043
May, 2023
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Taut, high-energy chardonnay with lemon curd, toasty French oak, sizzled butter, white peach and grapefruit marmalade supported by fresh acidity and fine peppery tannins. Aerate to get the best out of this closed and youthful wine.
Drink: 2023-2030
May, 2023
May, 2023
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Elegant red that is a benchmark for the variety with red rose petal, cassis, blackberry, cedar wood, cacao nib flavours and a backbone of spicy French oak that adds extra complexity. Accessible but it’s almost a shame to drink it before 2030.
Drink: 2023-2040
May, 2023
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The Moss Wood property is ground zero for Cabernet Sauvignon in Margaret River being one of the first wineries to really get the local Cabernet right. Today it’s an all rounder, and particularly the Chardonnay has been starting to challenge the region’s best. It is always quite oaky and slightly old school but still a lovely drink.
This is a full-throttle Chardonnay with layers of pineapple and mandarin fruits matched by some serious oak. It’s also voluptuous – big, bold and creamy in a seriously textural style with buttery hazelnut praline complexity. There is loads of power and concentration to finish and is a crowd pleaser for drinking over the medium term.
Drink: 2021 – 2027
February, 2020
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Moss Wood’s Ribbon Vale vineyard is planted close to the original estate in Wilyabrup although always creates more elegant wines thanks to its slightly higher and south facing vineyards, which is not a bad thing.
This is classic merlot in many ways – good colour but not especially deep and then it’s instantly bursting with fragrant redcurrant, cedar and dried herb fruits well matched to largely old oak. 5% cabernet franc has also provided a pretty leafy edge. The palate is then dry, fleshy and juicy – waves of red and black fruits are supported by silky tannins which are beautifully balanced before a long and bright finish. It is already open for business and well suited to roast duck or chicken.
Drink: 2022 – 2028
December, 2020
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Over the last five years Moss Wood’s Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon has been slowly but surely climbing the quality ladder, and it’s got some big shoes to fill at this famous estate. Ribbon Vale traditionally provides a more elegant and fragrant take on the Moss Wood style – pretty wines but still with backbone – Moss Wood meets Margaux for Bordeaux fans.
This wine is 96% cabernet sauvignon with a sprinkling of merlot and cabernet franc and again it has good but not massive colour showing the trademark lighter touch at Moss Wood. It is quite big and ripe for this label – lashings of mulberry and blackcurrant fruits with attractive leather and cedar, but it is the sweet fruit here that really stands out. The palate is then fleshy and open knit with those dark fruits now matched by gravelly complexity plus well balanced moderate tannins helping to drive a very long finish. It is a crowd pleasing Ribbon Vale for sure that is hard not to love and also has good cellaring potential, although why bother when it is drinking so well right now.
Drink: 2020 – 2030
December, 2020
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There is a tendency to ignore any Semillon which does not hail from the Hunter Valley (and sadly, a tendency to ignore most of those as well), but the reality is that there are some very fine, though different, examples from a number of other regions, including Margaret River. Moss Wood’s Semillon has long snuck under the radar for most, though it has a loyal core of supporters, justly so.
A crisp style, with hay, nettle and honey notes. Honey and grass – sounds like a great name for a 70s rock band. Lovely texture, good acidity and fine length. A wine with focus and pleasing style, with a good four to five years ahead of it and very different to what we have come to expect from the Hunter.
Drink: 2020 – 2025
December, 2020
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