Mostly semillon with a glug of sauvignon blanc, and in the glass it’s a light straw gold. Flavourful with toasty oak, nutty lees and plenty of zippy acidity. It’s refreshing, yet there’s definition across the palate, so it feels rich and ripe with a tug of phenolics on the otherwise dry finish.
July 2026
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A warm, riper vintage; this an expression of the season – rightly so. Plenty of acidity nonetheless corrals melon, stone fruit, citrus and creamy lees flavours. It’s a little smoky, with more richness and texture than usual.
August, 2024
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When you’re the flagship, there’s always pressure because you must be the best of the best. Well, take a bow. This harnesses all the power of fruit and winemaking, all seemingly effortlessly, and turns it into an elegant, stunning wine balancing savouriness with fruit. Just the right amount of cassis, mulberries, violets and spicy, cedary oak, nori and menthol and more besides. The palate builds yet stays just shy of fuller bodied with fine-grained tannins, refreshing acidity and superb length. Excellent now and with decades ahead of it. Oh and another accolade, this represents the 50th vintage of the wine. Take another bow.
August, 2025
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Merlot with decent glugs of cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon; aged 26 months in French oak barriques, 21% new. It comes across as detailed, structured and fuller bodied but not weighty. While its core is all dark fruits with baking spices and licorice, it’s savoury with tobacco, peat and roasted red peppers. And yes, the oak is impacting in youth – as in it has cedary and woodsy spices – but nothing is out of place. The textural tannins are nicely drying and the finish long. Smart now but even better with cellar time.
August, 2025
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This outsider, as in pinot noir in Margaret River, has been part of Moss Wood’s landscape since the ’70s, so it has its own DNA. Lots of strawberry conserve and macerated cherries, all sprinkled with dried mint. Angostura bitters, loads of spices and some nutty, nice oak. It’s refreshing, with lively acidity and supple tannins. Best in the short-term.
March 2026
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The combo of varieties turns out at 72/11/8/9% cabernet/merlot/malbec/petit verdot, and as is the Amy’s way, this is meant to be enjoyed with youth on its side. However, an extra year or so in bottle will see this come together better. Now it’s all upfront cassis and blackberries, pepperberry and juniper, bay leaves and spearmint. Full bodied, with tannins a little raspy and firm, sweet oak and some green walnut bitterness on the finish. Decant it and serve with hearty fare.
May 2026
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A new wine with fruit off an established site in cool Karridale, and given Moss Wood has been an early adopter of the variety, with its estate plantings beginning in ’73, it made sense to craft this. More savoury and tannic than the estate, with wafts of brown spices, warm earth and spicy oak. Some ripe to overripe fruit flavours coming through, with grippy, sandy tannins, and its freshness tempering the otherwise dry finish.
June 2026
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So intensely flavoured, I had to sit down to take it all in. Starting out all toasty and richly fruited with grapefruit and yellow peaches, buttered toast, lime curd and glacé citrus. As usual, a full-bodied, powerful wine with lashings of oak, yet lots to enjoy and consider, with the acidity keeping this buoyant.
March 2026
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The 2025 Ribbon Vale Chardonnay opens with white flowers and nuts, pineapple, white peach and brine. In the mouth, the wine is powerful, saline and nutty, with a creamy middle palate and bright acidity. The divide between malolactic fermentation characters and acidity feels balanced and harmonious, while the fruit is both powerful and glossy, framed by toasty oak. This is very good indeed. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date: 2026 – 2035
June 2026
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The 2024 Amy’s is supple, succulent and ultra-attractive. The season was hot, but those who managed it diligently have had good results, as this shows. The wines may not have the longevity of great vintages like 2023 or 2018, but they offer tremendous pleasure early. There are notes of raspberry seed, pink peppercorn, blood plum, tapenade and brine. This is very good. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink date: 2026 – 2034
June 2026
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