Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2023 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon marks the 50th anniversary of our first vintage, made in 1973, and is the 51st commercial release of this wine, the 1978 vintage having been released as Moss Wood Dry Red.

It is important to note the wine has only ever come from one location giving it consistent and unique characteristics, courtesy of our site.  However, each vintage is also an expression of the season Mother Nature chose to deliver us, meaning no two Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignons are the same.  Of course, she exhibits both good and bad temper and learning to live and work with these is the great challenge of farming, loved by the Mugford family, who’ve had the privilege of being involved since 1979.

The 2023 is a fitting addition to this history.

VINTAGE NOTES

The 2022–23 growing season in Wilyabrup began with above-average winter rainfall. During the calendar year of 2022, Moss Wood recorded 1114mm, 10% above the long-term average of 1012mm. This ensured the soil entered spring with good water reserves, an important factor for our unirrigated vineyards.

From there, the season settled into moderate conditions and, importantly, an extended ripening period. The growing season average temperature was 19.9°C, slightly below the long-term mean of 20.1°C, but the vines accumulated 1207 hours in the optimal ripening range between 18°C and 28°C, comfortably above the 1100 hours we regard as the minimum for adequate ripening. At the same time, there were few periods of extreme heat, with 48 hours recorded above 33°C, slightly below the long-term average.

These conditions are typical of seasons where fruit develops steadily and without interruption, allowing both flavour and tannin to reach full maturity without excessive sugar accumulation.

Flowering conditions help explain the crop levels in 2023. Cabernet Franc was the first of the varieties to begin, from 10th November to 14th December. During this period, 26mm of rainfall was recorded, which likely disrupted fruit set to some degree. The final yield was 5.05 tonnes per hectare, approximately 11% below the long-term average.

Cabernet Sauvignon followed, flowering from 20th November to 15th December. Rainfall during this period was minimal, with just 9mm recorded, providing favourable conditions for fruit set. The resulting yield was 8.61 tonnes per hectare, approximately 18% above average.

Petit Verdot commenced on 23rd November and finished on 19th December, with 8.4mm of rainfall recorded. While conditions appeared favourable, the variety again behaved independently, producing 3.93 tonnes per hectare, around 22% below the long-term average. On this point, it’s perhaps worth revisiting the old observation that Petit Verdot can be a somewhat temperamental variety - seemingly well set one moment, but prone to an emotional response at the slightest interruption to ideal flowering conditions, at which point it promptly sheds its crop.

Ripening proceeded steadily through late summer. Cabernet Franc was harvested on 31st March, followed by Petit Verdot on 5th April and Cabernet Sauvignon on 9th April, some 12 days later than the long-term mean.

Ripeness levels were consistent with the style we seek at Moss Wood, with Cabernet Sauvignon at 13.0° Baumé, Cabernet Franc 13.0° and Petit Verdot 13.5°. Cabernet Sauvignon took 122 days from flowering to harvest, slightly shorter than average but still within the context of a long, even ripening period.

Overall, the season produced fruit of very good quality, with the combination of moderate temperatures and extended ripening resulting in balanced acidity, ripe tannins and good flavour development.

In the context of the Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon style, the 2023 vintage aligns most closely with a number of our more classical seasons, including 2018 (19.63°C), 2014 (19.97°C) and 2015 (19.92°C). The growing season temperature sits comfortably within the range of these years, and, importantly, the season was longer, allowing flavour development to proceed in a steady and unforced manner. At the same time, the relatively low incidence of high temperature events ensured the fruit avoided heat stress.

When viewed alongside some of our benchmark vintages, 2023 sits between 2001 and 2005. The 2001 season was slightly cooler, while 2005 was warmer, and in this respect 2023 lies between the two in terms of growing season temperature. However, it is distinguished by a longer ripening period than either year and fewer high temperature events. This points to a season where flavour and tannin development proceeded more gradually, without the influence of elevated heat. In practical terms, such conditions tend to produce wines of finer structure and more detailed fruit expression. In Cabernet Sauvignon, the cooler profile also preserves the more delicate aromatic spectrum, lifting the nose with notes of violet, rose and pomegranate.

On this basis, we expect the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon to age in a manner consistent with these earlier vintages, albeit in a slightly more restrained style.

PRODUCTION NOTES

All fruit was hand harvested and delivered to the winery, where it was hand sorted and destemmed.

Each parcel was kept separate and fermented in small, open fermenters. Fermentations were carried out using multiple yeast strains to build complexity in the final wine. Fermentation temperature was managed to a maximum of 32°C and extraction was aided by hand plunging three times per day. Time on skins ranged from 13 to 16 days, depending on tannin development and balance.

After pressing, each batch underwent malolactic fermentation in stainless steel before being racked to oak for maturation.

The wine was matured in 228 litre French oak barriques, of which 15% were new. This level of new oak is consistent with previous vintages and is intended to support the wine’s structure without dominating the fruit.

Following maturation, the individual batches were assessed and blended to produce the final wine:

• 92% Cabernet Sauvignon
• 4% Cabernet Franc
• 4% Petit Verdot

Fining trials were carried out to assess tannin balance, but as is always the case with Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, none were deemed to improve the wine. The finished wine was then sterile filtered and bottled on 5th November 2025.