Reviews Archives - Moss Wood

Moss Wood 2008 Chardonnay – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

A glorious mature Margaret River Chardonnay, this is deep gold in color,
offering obvious depth and maturity. The nose exhibits notes of hazelnuts,
stewed peaches, honeysuckle, and gunflint. Fully developed and utterly
delicious; there is power and intensity, and yet we still have refinement.
Immeasurably long, this is finely balanced throughout. Still fully alive, but
there seems no legitimate reason not to enjoy it now.

Published April 2026

98 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Merlot – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Merlot Creative Image

Medium deep crimson. Fresh dark plum, redcurrant, cedar, black olive aromas and flavours with herb garden/ star anise notes. A core of sweet fruit with underlying cedar/ fine grainy tannins and hints of vanilla oak. Finishes grippy firm with some sappy notes. Very buoyant and expressive but probably best to drink in the medium term, Drink now – 2042 14% alc

93 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Medium deep crimson. Attractive cassis, blackberry pastille. dark chocolate aromas with some cedar notes. Inky deep with abundant blackcurrant, blackberry fruits, underlying vanilla, roasted chestnut notes, fine grainy – touch al dente tannins and fresh long tangy acidity. Finishes velvety firm and juicy. Still elemental but lovely richness and volume. Drink 2028 – 2045 13.5% alc

95 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Elsa – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Pale colour. Very attractive waxy, lemon curd, honey aromas with hints marzipan. Supple and minerally with ample waxy, lemon curd, tonic water, touch leafy flavours, looseknit chalky textures, lovely mid-palate volume and fresh long crisp acidity. Some aniseed notes at the finish. Ready to drink. 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillon. Nine months maturation in new (11%) and seasoned oak. Drink now – 2032 14% alc

93 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay Creative Image

Pale colour. Fresh tropical fruit, lemon curd, grapefruit aromas with underlying cashew nut, vanilla notes. Well concentrated lemon curd, grapefruit, hint pineapple fruits, fine lacy touch al dente textures and some underlying marzipan, vanilla notes. Finishes crisp and fruity. A very pleasing style. At the middle of fermentation, the wine was racked into 228-litre French oak barriques (32% new), to complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation. Nine months in oak for around nine months. Drink now – 2032 14% alc

94 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, espresso, roasted chestnut aromas with hints of black olive/ spice. Inky deep and generously concentrated with ample cassis, black cherry, mocha flavours, superb roasted chestnut/ marzipan notes, and classical fine-grained tannins. Builds up claret/ cedar firm with a lovely pure black currant plume. The oak is still dominant but offset perfectly against the fruit. Give it a few years and this wine will show its exceptional class. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot. Matured in French oak barriques (15% new). Drink 2029 – 2048+ 14% alc

98 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Fresh blackberry and mulberry, a little smoked paprika, bay leaf, spice and cedar. It’s medium-bodied, blackberry, mint, black olive and dried herbs, a cranberry freshness to acidity, a hazelnut feel to tannin, with a crisp, nutty and spicy red-fruited finish of very good length. Quite restrained and tight as at now, though it will no doubt show its class with time in bottle. Drink: 2028 – 2038+

April, 2025

93 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Merlot – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Cherry, plum, olive leaf and oregano, cedar and tobacco, a nutmeg and lemon zest top note. It’s medium-bodied, quite savoury, nutty and earthy, a mix of red and black fruit, plenty of tightly-knit tannin, balanced acidity, with a firm black olive laced finish of excellent length. Quite compact at present with more to come. Nice wine. Drink : 2027 – 2037+

April, 2025

94 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood 2025 Autrement Pinot Noir – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front

Pinot Noir from Karridale. 2025 was a very good vintage for Margaret River. I served this to my partner and asked what it might be. “Is it Grenache or maybe Nebbiolo? It’s not Pinot Noir is it?” And there you have an astute summary of the wine. Cherry, strawberry, orange peel, liquorice root and dusty spice, a little cedar oak. It’s medium-bodied, tannin has a light stony grip and there’s a freshness and vivacity too, a juiciness to red fruits tempered with some amaro character, a little brown spice, closes with good length and powdery tannin grip. It’s not particularly varietal, but gee, it has interest and drinking appeal. I really like it. Fascinating. Excellent. Drink : 2026 – 2035+

April, 2025

94 Points

Rating: Stars

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Ray Jordan

Yet another example of how an intense and rigorous concentration on the vineyard is producing such wonderful results these days for Moss Wood. And this is such an elegant and stylish cabernet sauvignon that reflects both that vineyard and the wonderful ’23 vintage. Bright red, energetic fruits on the nose, and then a palate that is so exquisitely pretty and poised. So well-integrated with fine chalky tannins, fine-grained oak, and that thoroughly beautiful fruit intensity. Everything just comes together so perfectly.
Cellar: 20 years

96 Points

Rating: Stars