Moss Wood 2025 Autrement Pinot Noir – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

Every year, one hears the same question. Why are they bothering with Pinot Noir in Margaret River? The answer is that they have customers who love the wine and buy it every year. Also, one suspects, that they enjoy making it (they have been doing so since 1977, so if they don’t, that would raise even more questions). Their vineyard was planted in 1973, making it one of the oldest Pinot vineyards in the country. Do we need any other reasons? Besides, while the wine may not rival a great vintage of la Tache, it is always well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable. The name, ‘Autrement’, means ‘in another way’, which one also suspects is their way of poking some gentle fun at the naysayers. After hand sorting, 30% of the fruit, sourced from the Karridale sub-region, is fermented as whole bunches, the remainder destemmed. Maturation is in barrel for fifteen months, 18% new oak. Pale russet with a crimson edge, this is a savoury and rather earthy style of Pinot Noir with notes of animal flesh, kirsch, charcuterie, mushrooms, red fruits notably cherries, root vegetables and leaf litter. A sappy palate with juicy acidity, the wine is of medium length and exhibiting good freshness at this stage. Drinking a little earlier than some of their releases, it would be ideal anytime over the rest of this decade.

 

92 Points

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay – Wine Pilot, Ken Gargett

An impressive Margaret River Chardonnay from the Ribbon Vale Vineyard, handpicked fruit was delivered to the winery for hand sorting and whole bunch pressing. Fermentation began in stainless steel tanks under controlled temperatures before, at the halfway point, the wine was transferred to French oak barriques, 32% of which were new, to complete that fermentation, and also malolactic fermentation. The wine spent nine months in oak for maturation. Gleaming gold in colour, the nose exhibits notes of nectarines, peaches, grapefruit pith, a flick of well-integrated oak and oatmeal. A slightly riper style, the wine is richly flavoured and the texture seamless. Of medium length with a minerally backing, this will provide attractive drinking for at least the next half dozen years, longer for those with patience.

 

93 Points

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Elsa – Wine Pilot, Ken Gargett

Friends in the West tell me that the final outcome of the 2025 vintage in Margaret River may rival the legendary 2023. Even to be spoken of in those terms suggests that this is another exceptional year. This wine is very much Sauvignon Blanc dominant, 90%, with the remaining 10% Semillon, all sourced from the Ribbon Vale Vineyard. Halfway through fermentation the wine was transferred into French oak barriques, 11% new. Maturation was for a further nine months. The colour is a deep straw/gold with flecks of green. The nose offers an intriguing array of aromas including stonefruits, nettles, citrus and peaches. There is a gorgeous texture here, perhaps the highlight of the wine, with balance, impressive length and persistence, all the while maintaining its intensity. A juicy style, this will drink impressively over the next decade.

 

94 Points

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Merlot – Marc Malouf, Wine Worth Writing About

Deep, dark ruby with a heady nose of violets, black berries and plum, a hint of orange rind, dried thyme, black tea, tobacco, licorice, boot polish, graphite and complex spice. In the mouth it’s rich, muscular and serious with flavours of plum, black cherries, juicy red berries, fig and bay leaf and tobacco that are gripped with firm fleshy tannins and powered by punchy acidity. The fruit is deep and concentrated and soaks up the oak well. It moves along, through to a long-layered aftertaste with blackberry, raspberry licorice and a very astute descriptor that Moss Wood uses in their own description; tamarillo! A serious Margaret River Merlot that looked its best on day 3, with no signs of fading.

March, 2026

 

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Marc Malouf, Wine Worth Writing About

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon
Crimson with a ruby rim and a lifted nose of lavender, blackberries, cassis, dried currants, white pepper, bay leaf, rosemary and dried sage, cocoa, graphite, pencil shavings and woody spice. In the mouth it’s juicy and easy with ripe blackberry, plum, raspberry, blueberry and blackcurrant at its core, kissed by sweet spice, charged with fresh acidity and textured dry from a grip of sticky tannins. A little simple and lacking intensity, but it’s elegant and not heavy in any way. It holds in the middle of its arc and ends with a lift of florals and pomegranate. A lovely, drinker that looked its best with 2 days of airtime.

 

March, 2026

 

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Marc Malouf, Wine Worth Writing About

Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon
Impenetrable dark crimson with a ruby rim and a complex and serious nose of violets, deep pitched black fruits and berries, panforte, charred meat, leather, pecan pie, tar, cedar, graphite and luxurious spices.
Textbook Marg’s Cab! In the mouth it’s full bodied, creamy and elegantly textured with the finest of tannins, wonderful depth of flavour and great balance. It echoes the nose with dark fruits and complex spice that sit comfortably together at its core, while seamlessly woven acidity carries it all with ease. It moves as one, harmoniously and with momentum, through a long arc, ending over minutes.
This looks, smells and tastes expensive, and it certainly delivers! A gorgeous Moss Wood Cabernet that’s looking great on day 2, with no signs of fading.

 

March, 2026

 

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood 2023 Chardonnay – Julia Harding, Jancis Robinson

Rich aroma of stone fruit, pear and a hint of creamy/mealy oak. Tastes almost sweet on the palate – veering to apricot – even though it is bone dry. The dry, firm and slightly chewy texture brings balance to all that sweet fruit. The oak is finely integrated, the fruit is the star.

 

16.5 Points

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood 2024 Chardonnay – Melissa Moore, The Real Review

Bright gold in the glass, with fresh apricots, vanilla and light cedary oak, with lemon rind, wet pebble and green almond. It’s vibrant and powerful, with zesty acidity, chalky mineral lift and savoury depth, finishing with a precise bitter-peel note that adds to the tension and drive. A confident, layered wine with lift and structure sure to age beautifully.

January, 2026

 

95 Points

Rating: Stars
Read More

Moss Wood 2024 Amy’s – Winsor Dobbin, Winsor’s Choice

Calling all lovers of Bordeaux-style red blends. This is cabernet-driven wine from one of Margaret River’s best producers that offers an excellent each way bet: drink now or cellar for a decade or more. It is a blend of 72% cabernet with the remainder of the blend made up of merlot, malbec and petit verdot. A wine of impeccable balance with classic currant/berry/plum notes allied to violet, dark chocolate and cedary oak characters. There is impressive structure here, but also bright acid that aid immediate accessibility. Concentrated but beguiling

January, 2026

 

Rating: Stars
Read More