Moss Wood 2026 Amy’s Cuvée Blanc

VINTAGE NOTES

The 2026 growing season was relatively mild and even, with favourable conditions allowing both varieties to progress steadily through ripening. Temperatures remained moderate through summer and there were few interruptions to the ripening process, allowing good flavour development while retaining freshness.

Sauvignon Blanc was the first to reach maturity and was harvested on 3rd March at 13.4° Baume. Yields were a healthy 7.90 tonnes per hectare, with the fruit showing good varietal intensity and freshness.

Semillon followed shortly afterwards on 6th March at 13.6° Baume. Yields were more modest at 5.96 tonnes per hectare, with the mild conditions allowing flavour development to progress steadily while retaining good freshness.

Together, the two varieties have produced a balanced and expressive wine, with Semillon providing the foundation and the larger Sauvignon Blanc component bringing additional aromatic lift and fruit intensity.

PRODUCTION NOTES

At approximately the halfway point of fermentation, the wines were transferred to 225-litre French oak barriques to complete alcoholic fermentation. In a change from the previous vintage, the Sauvignon Blanc component was allowed to proceed through almost complete malolactic fermentation. This has given the wine a lovely creamy texture and additional weight through the mid-palate, providing a point of difference from the 2025.

The wines remained in oak for approximately three months before final blending in stainless steel. Fining trials were carried out but none improved the wine, so it remained unfined. The wine then underwent cold stabilisation and sterile filtration before bottling on 30th June 2026.

TASTING NOTES

Colour and Condition:
Pale to medium straw; bright, clear condition.

Nose:
Lifted and fragrant, with lemon zest, grapefruit and ripe pear at the forefront, together with tropical notes of guava and passionfruit. Subtle notes of fresh-cut hay and delicate vanilla from the short oak maturation add complexity.

Palate:
Fresh and generous, with citrus, pear and tropical fruit flavours running the length of the palate. The most notable feature of the 2026 is its texture, with the malolactic fermentation of the Sauvignon Blanc bringing an attractive creaminess and additional weight through the middle palate. Bright acidity provides freshness and balance, while subtle oak and lightly nutty characters add complexity. The finish is long and fresh, with the creamy texture providing an appealing counterpoint to the vibrant fruit.

CELLARING

Amy’s Cuvée Blanc is made primarily to be enjoyed in its youth, when its freshness and vibrant fruit characters are at their most expressive. We recommend enjoying the 2026 over the next five years.

With further bottle age, the fresh citrus and tropical fruit characters will gradually give way to more complex honeyed, toasty and lanolin notes. The additional texture of the 2026 should also provide an interesting foundation for development over this period.

This maintains the five-year cellaring recommendation established for the inaugural 2025 release.