The West Australian

Reviews: Ray Jordan reviews from The West Australian.

Good Drops Fresh 18 March 2004. Moss Wood Semillon 2003.

Beautiful fragrant lemon scents merge with a faint smoky mineral background. Little traces of herbal character add to the complexity on the nose and palate. This is a fresh and vibrant wine with stacks of typical flavour that runs deep and long. Will continue to improve in the bottle. 90/100. Drink: Now to 2012. Food: Scallops with chilli and coriander.***1/2.

Chill Factor Fresh – 20 May 2004 Moss Wood Amy’s Vineyard cabernet sauvignon 2002

This is quite atypically Moss Wood compared with the traditional style from the Metricup vineyard. The fruit comes from the vineyard of Moss Wood production manager Ian Bell. There’s a nice mix of integrated fruit and oak on the nose. On the palate there’s more medium bodied with fine tannins and bay leaf characters dominant. It has classic cabernet structure with a slightly assertive finish. You could put this with some cheddar or parmesan cheese.

The Magnificent Dozen Fresh – 6 May 2004 Which wines couldn’t you live without? We choose our ‘desert island’ survival pack.

I approached this column with mixed feelings. When your editor asks for your best of the best, you suddenly face the possibility of exposing yourself to the world . . . well, the world that reads this column.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve been asked that same question, what’s your favourite wine? My response has always been that I drink what takes my fancy at the time and I have no real favourites. It’s an approach that’s served me well until now. And it’s an honest response – believe me.

Some days it’s a crisp riesling, on others a complex, finely balanced chardonnay or a full-bodied shiraz, or perhaps an elegant, stylish cabernet. To bring it down to just a few is a tough assignment. But with the threat of no ?best of the best?, no payment for the column this week, I decided I’d better stand up and be counted. And with more of a squeak than a roar, here I am, standing up.

So here’s the scenario. I’ve put myself on the proverbial desert island. You know the drill, just me, the palm trees and a box of wine. I don’t know whether that rescue boat will ever come, or whether I’ll make a TV series about it with a bunch of very silly people and an even sillier plot. These could be the last dozen wines I drink on this earth, so they had better be bloody good.

Now clearly, if I was really in this predicament, I’d probably ask for a dozen bottles of cognac, get good and loaded, and meet St Pete and the big Guy at the pearly gates with a stagger. But for this exercise I’m going to pick a mixed desert island dozen from the wines that continually give me the most enjoyment with a track record for consistency and quality of the highest order…..

….I’d also have to have a Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon. No dozen would be complete without this quintessential small vineyard cabernet. Soft, generous and multi-layered, it continues to produce a style that is distinctly Moss Wood……

RECOMMENDED * Chandon Brut Rose * Richmond Grove Riesling * McWilliams Lovedale semillon * Leeuwin Estate Art series chardonnay * Bannockburn chardonnay * Grange * Cullen Diana Madeline cabernet merlot * Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon * Rockford Basket Press shiraz * Clonakilla shiraz viognier * Seppelt Show Reserve Sparkling shiraz * Morris Old Premium Liquer Muscat