Moss Wood 2019 Chardonnay – Erin Larkin, Winecompanion.com.au

The 2019 vintage was a cool one in Margaret River, and the best wines exhibit a cool restraint and delicacy that works alongside the natural latent power of the grape. In this instance, the opulent, luxurious style of chardonnay that Moss Wood is known for, is somewhat tempered by the cool season. Very pretty, very soft, and with hints of butter menthol, yellow peach, white pepper and fennel flower. Graceful, elegant and svelte.

Published 16 August 2021

96 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2021 Elsa – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot

Bright mid straw in colour, this wine is getting better and better as the Mugford’s hone in on what makes the Ribbon Vale site tick for this variety. I must admit an unusually soft spot for classy oak handled sauvignon blanc and this is an excellent example. It opens with punchy, precise guava and leafy aromas well matched by cashew and vanilla oak influences. It’s young, bright and full of energy. The palate is then dry and juicy with tight and compact citrus and nettle flavours that are embryonic and still wound up quite tight in a blanket of oak with a chalky texture and a very long, acid driven finish. Impressive now but really needs a couple of years to build in bottle.

 

93 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot

Bright deep crimson in colour and highly complex clearly showing the cooler vintage thanks to a cedary, leafy lift, with red and blackcurrant fruits sitting just behind. Great poise and elegance on the palate with bright, radiant fruits, certainly more mid weight in style than usual fleshed out by violet and crunchy red currant flavours. Already delicious to drink, tannins are supple with excellent persistence and length which show the wines class if in a more lightly framed and earlier drinking style. An old school Moss Wood claret that whispers rather than shouts.

 

94 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2021 Semillon – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot

Great to see Moss Wood sticking with Semillon after all these years. And that perseverance pays off with wines which are always interesting and food friendly styles. This is a big wine from 2021 that weighs in at 14.5% alcohol but still has the acid balance which should see it age well. It’s far from shy and packed full of powerful fruits, from exotic guava to vibrant citrus with touches of lanolin and green apple. Despite its richness, the palate retains great focus and balance with bright acidity underpinning layers of fruit which drive a long and surprisingly elegant finish. An off-beat style for Moss Wood which is already drinking well and promises to do so for some time to come.

 

95 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2021 Elsa – Winsor Dobbin, WD Wine of the Week

I can hear the back row from here: “$75 for a sauvignon blanc? Are you out of your mind?” The thing is that this is no ordinary sauvignon blanc; in a way it is akin to the great white wines of Bordeaux and is certainly one of the finest examples of the style in Australia. This is the third vintage of Elsa from the Mugford family in Margaret River – and a triumph from a difficult vintage. The sauvignon blanc has been picked riper, barrel fermented, is more assertive and the alcohol is up to 13.5%, adding richness and texture to the refined palate. Think tropical notes, hints of minerality and subtle oak. Pair this with a roast chicken for maximum pleasure.

 

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2021 Chardonnay – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Gorgeously styled and enticing, the bouquet shows ripe peach, fig, lemon peel, nougat and roasted hazelnut aromas, leading to a wonderfully weighted palate offering seductive complexity and expansive mouthfeel. Sophisticated and irresistibly appealing with seamless flow and a prolonged complex finish. April 2022.

 

96 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2021 Elsa – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

 

A splendid rendition of sauvignon blanc offering varietal vibrancy as well as elegant complexity, showing white flesh nectarine, green rockmelon, grapefruit and rich floral aromas on the nose with nuances of cashew and oatmeal. The wonderfully flavoursome palate delivers terrific fruit power backed by textured mouthfeel and bright acidity, finishing persistent and engaging. April 2022.

 

95 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Gracefully powerful and exquisitely expressed, the wine shows blackcurrant, dark cherry, cedary oak, green olive and warm spice aromas on the nose. The concentrated palate delivers outstanding fruit purity and intensity, combined with finely textured mouthfeel and beautifully pitched grainy tannins, finishing with a great line and length. Impeccably detailed, precise and undeniably classy.  April 2022.

 

98 Points

Rating: Stars
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Moss Wood 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon – Marc Malouf, Wine Worth Writing About

Deep ruby with a purple hue and a tightly packed, but very expressive nose of rose buds, dark berries, raspberry leather, raspberry leaf, plum jam, dried bayleaf, fern and pencil shavings. High quality, yet restrained oak shows the class of this beauty.

In the mouth it’s a pretty expression of Moss Wood Cabernet. Not as muscular or as powerful as the 18, instead a wine of delicacy, silkiness and approachability from the get go. Ripe and pure flavours of Raspberry, Cassis and Youngberry seduce the palate with generosity and richness, feeling more like nectar than wine. The beautiful fruit is accompanied by a very fine dusting of tannins that grip and dry in a way that teases another sip out of you, while a gentle glow of acidity highlights all the right aspects. It’s harmonious, delicious and balanced, albeit a little simplistic but not to its detriment…..in fact it’s very charming. The midpalate is swept by the inertia of the fruit that carries through to a long and pleasurable tail humming with berries, lasting minutes. Yyyyyyum!

Seductive and pleasurable drinking.

 

Rating: Stars
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