Moss Wood 2003 Semillon
Wine Facts
| Harvested: | 10/3/2003 |
| Bottled: | 14/8/2003 |
| Released: | 15/10/2003 |
| Baume: | 12.90 |
| Alcohol: | 14.00% |
| Vintage Rating: | 9/10 |
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Tasting Notes
The wine has a medium straw colour, with green tints. On the nose it displays an interesting combination of primary Semillon fruit aromas, with complex notes from lees stirring. The fine to medium weight palate is fresh and crisp, with lively citrus fruit flavours supported by lifted acidity The flavours are quite long and then the wine finishes with soft tannin. The fruit characters are lemon, grapefruit and green apple combined with fig, and the complex notes are reminiscent of dough and toast, which give the impression the wine has been in oak, even though it hasn't.
Moss Wood 2024 Semillon – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog
Moss Wood Semillon 2024 has lime and lemongrass flavours with subtle texture and complexity. Flavoursome and fruit driven given the absence of oak in the winemaking. Moss Wood are one of the only winemakers in Margaret River making an age worthy style which they recommend can cellar for up to…
Moss Wood 2024 Semillon – Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wine
This is a slightly fuller style than previously. Perhaps a product of the warmer vintage or an indication of a somewhat new direction for the variety. Regardless, it retains the essential linear mouthfeel and intensity of lemon zest and citrus. A crisp zingy acid sustains the long finish—an immediately appealing…
WA Wine Review 2024
Ray Jordan “Moss Wood is a family-owned wine company and a pioneer of the Margaret River region. Planted in 1969, Moss Wood is an important founding estate of Margaret River. Clare and Keith Mugford, as viticulturalists, winemakers and proprietors, have been tending the vineyard and making wine at Moss Wood…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Stuart Knox, The Real Review
Bright lime and lemon colours shine through the glass. Grapefruit, melon and chopped green herb aromatics. The palate has a tension and drive that instantly draws you in. Citrus fruit and hints of leafy greens add complexity whilst that driving acidity ensures it carries very long and crisp to the…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog
The Moss Wood 2023 Semillon leads with lemon and Granny Smith flavours. Dig a little deeper for fig and nectarine. It’s a riper and fuller bodied expression than Hunter releases. Still has that underlying chalk, dryness and acid line to keep everything tidy. Always highly pointed by wine critics but…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Ray Jordan, Ray Jordan Wine
Remains one of my favourite Moss Wood wines, and certainly one of my favourite semillons. And this one from the great ’23 vintage is right up there with anything. It seems a more pungent and intense semillon than previous years and probably a result of the vintage which produced such…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot.com
Immediately engaging thanks to excellent upfront volume of hay and honeydew melon with touches of lanolin which offer an impressive start. It then delivers a nicely textured and weighty expression with finer acidity than usual, but impresses with sheer power and youthful energy. An excellent vintage for this Margaret River…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Ned Goodwin, jamessuckling.com
This is exceptional semillon, made with a stylistic nod to white Grave as much as fealty to Margaret River’s oath of immaculate ripeness, melded to a saline pop of freshness. Full-weighted, yet light on its feet. Some unresolved CO2 is as effective as the drag of acidity in promoting freshness….
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Gee, they’ve turned out an excellent Semillon in 2023. No oak employed here. Ripe green apple, quince, lime leaf, citrus blossom, a little spice and jalapeño. It’s flavoursome, but balanced, with a fine grip, green melon and citrus, arrowroot biscuits, and a bright and long finish offering lime zest and…
Moss Wood 2023 Semillon – Andrew Caillard, Wine Pilot.com – The Vintage Journal
Pale colour. Lifted grassy, lemon curd hint marzipan aromas with hints of aniseed. Attractive lemon curd, tropical fruit marzipan flavours, fine chalky textures, impressive mid-palate volume and well balanced linear fresh acidity. Generous and richly flavoured wine with lovely fruit definition and impact. Delicious to drink now but should keep…
Vintage Notes
After a very good growing season, our only disappointment with this wine was the lack of volume, with yields in the "Old Block" down by 36%. Fortunately, this seems to have resulted in greater concentration in the finished product.
Production Notes
Production techniques were typical for the Semillon. The grapes were hand picked and delivered to the winery, where they were de-stemmed, chilled and pumped into the press. Free run juice and pressings were extracted, then combined and settled for 48 hours. After settling, the clear juice was racked and seeded with pure yeast culture. Once fermentation commenced, it was maintained at 18C and the lees were stirred once per day. The lees stirring continued for 6 weeks after fermentation finished and then the wine was fined, filtered and bottled in August 2003.
Cellaring Notes
It is a very attractive drink and most people will choose to consume it while it is still young and fresh. However, those who have the patience and the space to cellar the wine will be rewarded because it should age well in bottle for at least another 15 years.
In general the Semillon shows fresh, fruity and lively characters up to 3 years of age. It tends to go into a sleepy dull stage between the age 3 - 5 years. Between 5 - 6 years it should start to pick up rich, honey, toasty characters. These characters are usually at their peak between 10 - 15 years and will remain enjoyable until at least 20 years old.