The History and Evolution of Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon: 2000 The Introduction of the Screw Cap

2000 was another very good growing season, with no damage and plenty of rain, but no disease and crop levels were truly bountiful. Although slightly warmer than 1999, ripening was slowish and harvest was slightly later than average.

In the end, the Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the ripest we made, with bright aromatics of red currant and violets and a wonderfully round and soft palate. It was very much in the style of 1976, and both vintages are best described using the technical term “yummy”.

2000 was the first Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon to be bottled under a screw cap. We had finally reached the point where the inconsistency associated with the use of corks had become too much. We simply could not tolerate a closure failure of 10%, sometimes higher, and for no gain in terms of the aging of the wine.

Once again, we used wild yeast and the results were similar. The wine with the most idiosyncratic character was the Chardonnay, but all the others show nuanced touches as well. Some batches proved very challenging from a winemaking perspective, because the fermentations were slow and difficult.

In the end, we concluded the quality risks didn’t outweigh the additional benefits and haven’t used indigenous fermentations since. For about 10 years, a commercial alternative has been developed, whereby it is now possible to purchase multiple yeast strains from wine industry suppliers, which include the unusual species found in wild yeast fermentations. We now use these products and for want of a better way of saying it, we can buy wild yeast ferments in a can.