INTRODUCTION

The Mugford family purchased the Ribbon Vale vineyard in 2000, in time for that vintage. Located less than two kilometres from Moss Wood, the property comprised an established, dry-grown vineyard planted in 1977, making it one of the oldest in Margaret River. From the outset, Ribbon Vale represented both a continuation of our work with Cabernet Sauvignon and an introduction to varieties not grown at Moss Wood itself, most notably Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc.

Since acquisition, our efforts have focused on refining both the vineyard and the wines, guided by an increasing understanding of how best to express the character of this site. Trellis upgrades, grafting and ongoing developments in the winery have all contributed to this process. In particular, Ribbon Vale provided our first experience working with Merlot, and over time our approach has evolved as we have come to understand its behaviour under the dry-grown conditions and gravelly soils of the property.

While numerous changes have taken place over the past two decades, this newsletter concentrates on the two red wines produced from the vineyard: Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon and Ribbon Vale Merlot.

A significant development in Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon has been the gradual adjustment of clonal composition. The vineyard was originally planted to the SA126 clone, which produces wines with lifted aromatics and firm tannin structure, often showing brighter red-fruited characters. While these attributes contribute freshness, in isolation they can produce a more angular structure and abrupt tannin than we seek for Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon.

By contrast, the Houghton clone consistently delivers darker fruit expression, showing blackcurrant, cassis and blue-fruited notes, together with elegant tannin depth and refinement. Over time, it became clear that increasing the proportion of Houghton clone would strengthen the wine’s structure and longevity while retaining a small component of SA126 to preserve aromatic lift.

This led to the establishment of the Young Houghton block on the eastern side of the property, together with the grafting of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon vines to Houghton clone Cabernet Sauvignon. The process began with new plantings in 2005 and continued with grafting work in 2017. Today, the resulting wine comprises 90% Houghton clone and 10% SA126, a balance that reflects our current understanding of the best expression of Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon.

In Merlot, attention has focused on increasing clonal diversity. When Ribbon Vale was planted in the late 1970s, only a single clone, D3V14, was available in Australia. Imported from UC Davis in 1965, it formed the basis of early Merlot plantings in Margaret River and has proven to be a reliable, moderate-yielding selection.

Over time, additional clones have become available internationally, offering differences in yield, tannin structure and flavour profile. In 2022, we selected three clones for grafting onto existing Merlot vines in the West Block:

• Q45-14, of Italian origin, noted for smaller bunches, lower yields and structured tannin
• ENTAV-INRA® 181, originating from Gironde, producing deeply coloured, fruit-driven wines
• ENTAV-INRA® 343, also from Gironde, characterised by low yields and firm tannin structure

The first crop from these grafted vines was harvested in 2024, with their influence expected to appear progressively in future vintages of Ribbon Vale Merlot. Early indications suggest improved aromatic complexity and greater structural definition alongside the existing D3V14 plantings.

These changes represent a gradual evolution rather than a departure. As with all work at Ribbon Vale, the objective remains to improve our understanding of the vineyard and to refine how its character is expressed in the wines.