Western Suburbs Weekly on the 22nd May 2007

Many Margaret River winemakers believe the 2005 cabernet vintage is the best since the outstanding 2001, and this view takes into account the marvellous quality of the 2004 releases that have started to come on to the market.

The winemakers also believe that 2001, 2004 and 2005 produced wines are well ahead of the material in barrel from the 2006 grape crop.

But, and this is the important bit, they go a step further and are convinced, as are we, that Margaret River’s 2005 cabernet-based wines are shaping up to be the best. The pre-release and barrel samples that have been delivered or that we’ve tried in the vineyards have been breathtaking in their life, density, length and appeal. These are potentially great wines.

This preamble is relevant as the 2005 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Merlot, the first of the serious 2005s to come on to the market, crossed the tasting table just recently and it is clearly the finest wine off this vineyard.

Keith and Clare Mugford, who have made the wines at Moss Wood since 1979 and owned and operated it since the mid-80s, purchased the under-performing Ribbon Vale Vineyard in 2000 and made it clear it would take several years for the vineyard restructuring to bear fruit, so to speak. Well, for the first time the results are apparent and this is a serious, if far too young, quality Margaret River cabernet. This is spicy, alive and appealing. The fruit characters are soft, long restrained, sensuous and very young, and the oak tannins and flavours have been wonderfully judged to give a supple texture. So, yep, it is Ribbon Vale’s best wine of any sort and one can only assume this is the type of wine the Mugfords aspired to when they evaluated the property and purchased it all those years ago. Drink from 2008 to at least 2016

18.2 Points