DISCOVER MOSS WOOD RIBBON VALE BOTRYTIS SEMILLON
At the Mugford 2010 Christmas lunch, the pudding was accompanied by a bottle of 2003 Chateau d’Yquem. As usual with this great wine, people were reduced to using words like delicious, stunning and so on. This was a rare privilege and everyone was suitably impressed. As is so often the case, the experience of a truly great wine for the first time is something of a defining moment, likely to stay in the memory forever.
With the Yquem-driven inspiration, the end of the 2011 vintage saw considerable pressure brought to bear by Tristan and Hugh, both of whom were working at Moss Wood, to attempt our first Moss Wood botrytis wine. Three rows of Ribbon Vale Semillon were set aside.
Dates
Wine Fact | Data |
---|---|
Planted | Planted between 1977 and 1982 |
2000 | By the commencement of the 2000 vintage a new winery building was added to process the expanded production. The year 2000 also saw the purchase of the Ribbon Vale vineyard which is located 1.6kms south of the Moss Wood vineyard within the Wilyabrup region. |
2011 | First release of Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Botrytis |

RIBBON VALE
VINEYARD
First planted in 1977
8.2 hectares
- 8.2 hectares planted on south and west facing slopes
- Unirrigated
- Scott Henry trellising system
- Soils are classic gravelly loams over clay sub-soils
- Planting densities from 1500 to 2000 vines per hectare
Grape varieties grown at the
Ribbon Vale vineyard are:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon
Blanc and Semillon.

Viticulture & Winemaking

This is a natural sweet wine style made only in years when we have a successful noble rot infection by the Botrytis cinerea fungus which causes the berries to shrivel and results in concentration of their flavours. Fermentation is carried out in barrel and then the wine is aged in wood for nearly 2 years. This technique produces a very complex aromatic array of dried apricots, figs and pears with unusual background characters like raisins, earth and aspirin. The palate is rich, full bodied and luscious with considerable sweetness balanced by fresh acidity and very delicate tannins. It displays all the ripe fruits of the nose, especially dried apricots, but has a clean, finish and is not cloying. Its concentration and composition mean that it has the potential to improve with cellaring over at least 5 years. However, its richness and generosity make it a delicious drink, even as a young wine.
- Semillon from the Ribbon Vale vineyard
- Made only when the grapes are naturally infected with
- Botrytis cinerea
- Careful selection of yeasts allowing full expression of varietal characteristics
- Aged for 2 years in 228 litre old French oak barrels
- Enjoyable now but can be cellared 5 to 7 years
Read Ribbon Vale Botrytis wine notes
Accolades
Contact
MOSS WOOD:
CLARE MUGFORD
Viticulturist, Winemaker &
Proprietor
clare@mosswood.com.au
Mobile: +61 427 170 729
KEITH MUGFORD
Viticulturist, Winemaker &
Proprietor
keith@mosswood.com.au
Mobile: +61 427 556 266
Location: 926 Metricup Road, Wilyabrup WA
Postal: PO Box 225, Cowaramup WA 6284
Tel: +61 8 9755 6266
Fax: +61 8 9755 6303
mosswood@mosswood.com.au
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