Moss Wood 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Facts
| Harvested: | 1/4/1990 |
| Bottled: | 30/6/1991 |
| Released: | 24/7/1992 |
| Yield: | 8.50 t/ha |
| Baume: | 12.00 |
| Alcohol: | 13.00% |
| Vintage Rating: | 9/10 |
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Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Tyson Stelzer, Top 250 Wines of 2024
A singularity of black- and redcurrant and cassis defines a monumental Moss Wood of stellar definition and endurance, yet somehow at the same time alluringly silky, slippery and polished to the nth degree. Super-fine tannins unite top shelf fruit with classy oak structure, impeccably resolved, carrying a finish of effortless…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Medium-deep and very bright red with a strong tinge of purple, but it’s not a very deep colour for cabernet. The bouquet is fresh and red fruit driven with mulberry, violet aromas, mixed dried herbs and fragrant spices. The wine is medium-full bodied, not big but supremely elegant and fine-boned….
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Cassandra Charlick, Wine Pilot
95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot, with a detailed French oak regime. I can resist everything but temptation, or so said Mr Wilde. Place a glass of this in front of you and resistance is futile. Juicy and jewel like, the nose leaps with dusty rose, raspberry…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Cassandra Charlick, Decanter
Vibrantly perfumed, with rose petal jam and bright red primary fruit fringed with dried eucalypt, sage, sea spray, clove, delicate spices and lightly toasted oak. Impressive fruit weight. Hums with energy. Tannins are ripe, firm, fine, almost silky. Acid is balanced and lifted. Lacks classic Margaret River Cabernet characters, but…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Jane Faulkner – James Halliday, The Wine Companion
There’s as much a Moss Wood DNA thumbprint as a regional one here. This shows off violets, cedary/toasty oak (thankfully not too much), chocolate and a slight ironstone character. Fuller bodied yet the palate is smooth and contained with fine-grained, almost silky tannins, plus dabs of sweet mulberries and blackberries…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
A wine of stunning presence, the engaging bouquet shows dark berry, thyme, star anise, rich floral and cedar characters. The palate is both concentrated and seamless with outstanding weight and depth, wonderfully framed by finely infused chalky tannins. This is symphonic with grace and style, promising to evolve magnificently. At…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
The Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is always one of Margaret River’s best and this latest release is no exception. From the sub-region of Wilyabrup, the blend is 95% Cabernet, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Not the easiest vintage in the region, the team overcame any and all obstacles….
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Angus Hughson, Vinous.com
This engaging 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon appeals with its subtlety rather than raw power. Dried herbs, clay and blackcurrant are finely intertwined with French oak. Firm and mid-weight with a strong core, the Wilyabrup gravels emerge in flavor and texture to drive a strong, tension-filled finish. There’s a lovely overall flow…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Paul Edwards, The West Australian
High expectations accompany iconic labels such as Moss Wood, especially following on from the powerful 2020. This elegantly styled 21 vintage steps up and delivers, even in its youth. This is a wine built for cellaring and, as such, it was day two when the full gamut of flavours and…
Moss Wood 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon – Bob Campbell, The Real Review
Elegant red that is a benchmark for the variety with red rose petal, cassis, blackberry, cedar wood, cacao nibs flavours and a backbone of spicy French oak that adds extra complexity. Accessible but it’s almost a shame to drink it before 2030. May, 2024
Tasting Notes
The 1990 Cabernet has a deep, bright red colour and fragrant, lifted perfumes with hints of fresh cherries, ripe berries and smokey, tarry characters. It has fresh, lively sweet berry flavours, soft fine-grain tannins and an aftertaste which lingers. This is an elegant, multi-dimensional wine which is rich and full-flavoured, supple, round and well-balanced.
Because of the quality of the fruit, a small amount will be released under the Special Reserve label. We believe that it will be hard to make a better Cabernet at Moss Wood than the 1990.
Vintage Notes
The growing season for the 1990 Cabernet was unique as the region experienced mild weather with regular rainfall during the summer. This summer rain delayed the harvest and there was some concern that the grapes would not ripen. Not only was this unfounded but the impact of the steady rainfall was beneficial to the vines and the composition of the fruit. The late harvest meant that the Marri gums had stopped flowering before picking was finished and so the birds did significant damage towards the end of vintage. This was compensated for by the abundant crop which ensured the production of a slightly above average volume of wine.
Production Notes
The 1990 Moss Wood Cabernet includes 5% Cabernet Franc, 0.03% Merlot. The introduction of Cabernet Franc to the blend is not a significant change: rather it is a fine tuning of the established Moss Wood Cabernet style. The young wine seems to have added a freshness and a cherry-like character as a result of the addition of the small amount of Cabernet Franc.
The wine was made in the traditional manner of the vineyard: picked at 12.5 beaume and fermented on skins for six days. To add another dimension to the blend, a small parcel of four vats was kept on skins for two weeks. The wine underwent its malolactic fermentation in stainless steel and was then stored in 225 litre barrels for twelve months. These were a combination of 50% of both Allier and Troncais barriques from Les Tonnelles de Bourgogne, with 38% of the wine being stored in new oak. After this time in oak, the wine was lightly fined and filtered and bottled in November 1991.
Cellaring Notes
Although delicious now, it will benefit from up to fifteen years cellaring.