Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2020 Elsa

Wine Facts
Median Harvest Date15/02/2020
Harvest Ripeness12.8 °Be
Yield8.01 t/ha
Day Elapsed between Flowering and Harvest88 days
Bottled15/01/2021
Released29/10/2021
Alcohol14.0%
Wine Facts
Median Harvest Date15/02/2020
Harvest Ripeness12.8 °Be
Yield8.01 t/ha
Day Elapsed between Flowering and Harvest88 days
Bottled15/01/2021
Released29/10/2021
Alcohol14.0%

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

Bright light yellow colour; complex toasty, nutty bouquet, evidencing barrel fermentation, the palate following on with this theme with savoury dryness, super-intense flavour and a very dry, energetic and lingering finish. The oak is very well handled. A superb wine in the white Bordeaux style.

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – The Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin

The 2024 Elsa leads with elderflower and lychee, lime zest and lavender soap. In the mouth, the wine is full of flavor and super intense—it feels quite exotic as compared to previous years, with a finish that moves toward waxy and floral. The season has soaked up the oak, which I find to be a…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Wine Pilot, Ken Gargett

The team at Moss Wood have said that the 2024 vintage reminds them of the great year of 1995. Yields were down but of high quality and everything augurs well for when we see the rest of this vintage released. During fermentation, the grapes were moved to 225-litre French oak barrels, 10% of which were…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Wine Pilot, Cassandra Charlick

Pillowy and nougatine on the nose, with marzipan and vanilla bean laced apricot, custard apple, feijoa and pear skin. Tropical honeydew melon follows with a tint of lemongrass and baked hay. Plenty of fruit sweetness and buttery malolactic notes on the palate, which balances Sauvignon’s bright acidity nicely. Vanilla brioche, silken poached pear and an…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Pale colour. Fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, tonic aromas with hints of marzipan/ grilled nuts. Well-concentrated with ample grapefruit, lemon pastille fruits, underlying tonic water notes, fine bittersweet textures and fresh indelible acidity. Refreshingly minerally at the finish. Drink now – 2032 14% alc

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Ken Gargett, The Wine Pilot

The team at Moss Wood have said that the 2024 vintage reminds them of the great year of 1995. Yields were down but of high quality and everything augurs well for when we see the rest of this vintage released. During fermentation, the grapes were moved to 225-litre French oak barrels, 10% of which were…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Ray Jordan Wine

Warmer year equates to a wine of rich, deep flavour. Typically, bright aromatics, but I find the texture and mouthfeel captivating in this latest Elsa sauvignon blanc. Floral stone fruit and lightly grassy tropical characters on the nose. The palate then reveals a subtle honeysuckle and light butterscotch, almost like a chardonnay, with a cute…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog

Moss Wood Elsa 2024 captures the fun, freshness and fruit forward character of Sauvignon Blanc but with extra gravitas courtesy of high quality oak. There’s Sauvignon Blanc and then there’s Sauvignon Blanc for Chardonnay drinkers! In a low yielding, warm and fast vintage Elsa has concentration and the playfulness we all enjoy in the variety…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

The 2023 Elsa leads with a supremely elegant nose of white peach and white chocolate, a hint of sandalwood and scraped vanilla pod, dried coriander and poached green apples. In the mouth, the wine is opulent and very ripe, with custard powder and caramel, nashi pears and lemon drops. The finish broadens out a little…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Cassandra Charlick-Camerer, Wine Pilot

Full malolactic fermentation,  7% new oak for nine months. Very inviting on the nose thanks to crème brulee creaminess, artisan candied fruit, vanilla bean and slight honeysuckle musk. The perfumed oak is in abundance, with a delicate toast, charry fringes and plenty of prettiness. Following on, the palate is unctuous and has a ripe, almost…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Jane Faulkner – James Halliday, The Wine Companion

Sauvignon blanc. On song with its flavours and texture; it’s really a classy wine. A beautiful balance of white stone fruit, citrus and gooseberries with a smidge of feijoa. The textural palate steals the show with its creamed honey lees and subtle oak with a slight phenolic tug adding extra depth. Love this wine. August,…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Complex and engaging, the bouquet shows ripe peach, lemon peel, nougat and subtle pastry aromas, leading to a splendidly weighted palate offering saline texture combined with bright acidity. Superbly structured with alluring flavours, finishing wonderfully long and vibrant. A blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc & 6% Semillon. At its best: 2026 to 2036. April, 2024.

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

This is a wine which takes us into a different realm of Sauvignon Blanc, with whole bunch pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks before transfer to oak. 225 litre French oak barriques, 7% new, with nine months maturation. The nose offers florals and seabreeze notes, a real oystershell character to be found here. A minerally…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog

The plan was to revamp how they made Sauvignon Blanc. They had an eye on the great whites of the Loire Valley as a template. Well 2023 Elsa is their best yet. Handpicked and sorted, the grapes get the luxury treatment in the vineyard and winery. Elsa ’23 is disciplined and tought and emphasises zest…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Angus Hughson, Vinous.com

The finely tuned 2023 White Blend Elsa Ribbon Vale is generously proportioned and youthful as it radiates grapefruit and lemon pith with a touch of exotic green mango and green herbs, all well integrated with French oak. Expressive and creamy textured oak flavors add backbone to what is a sophisticated array of flavors that fill…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Huon Hooke, The Real Review

Bright light yellow colour; complex toasty, nutty bouquet, evidencing barrel fermentation, the palate following on with this theme with savoury dryness, super-intense flavour and a very dry, energetic and lingering finish. The oak is very well handled. A superb wine in the white Bordeaux style.

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – The Wine Advocate, Erin Larkin

The 2024 Elsa leads with elderflower and lychee, lime zest and lavender soap. In the mouth, the wine is full of flavor and super intense—it feels quite exotic as compared to previous years, with a finish that moves toward waxy and floral. The season has soaked up the oak, which I find to be a…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Wine Pilot, Ken Gargett

The team at Moss Wood have said that the 2024 vintage reminds them of the great year of 1995. Yields were down but of high quality and everything augurs well for when we see the rest of this vintage released. During fermentation, the grapes were moved to 225-litre French oak barrels, 10% of which were…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Wine Pilot, Cassandra Charlick

Pillowy and nougatine on the nose, with marzipan and vanilla bean laced apricot, custard apple, feijoa and pear skin. Tropical honeydew melon follows with a tint of lemongrass and baked hay. Plenty of fruit sweetness and buttery malolactic notes on the palate, which balances Sauvignon’s bright acidity nicely. Vanilla brioche, silken poached pear and an…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal

Pale colour. Fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, tonic aromas with hints of marzipan/ grilled nuts. Well-concentrated with ample grapefruit, lemon pastille fruits, underlying tonic water notes, fine bittersweet textures and fresh indelible acidity. Refreshingly minerally at the finish. Drink now – 2032 14% alc

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Ken Gargett, The Wine Pilot

The team at Moss Wood have said that the 2024 vintage reminds them of the great year of 1995. Yields were down but of high quality and everything augurs well for when we see the rest of this vintage released. During fermentation, the grapes were moved to 225-litre French oak barrels, 10% of which were…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Ray Jordan Wine

Warmer year equates to a wine of rich, deep flavour. Typically, bright aromatics, but I find the texture and mouthfeel captivating in this latest Elsa sauvignon blanc. Floral stone fruit and lightly grassy tropical characters on the nose. The palate then reveals a subtle honeysuckle and light butterscotch, almost like a chardonnay, with a cute…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2024 Elsa – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog

Moss Wood Elsa 2024 captures the fun, freshness and fruit forward character of Sauvignon Blanc but with extra gravitas courtesy of high quality oak. There’s Sauvignon Blanc and then there’s Sauvignon Blanc for Chardonnay drinkers! In a low yielding, warm and fast vintage Elsa has concentration and the playfulness we all enjoy in the variety…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate

The 2023 Elsa leads with a supremely elegant nose of white peach and white chocolate, a hint of sandalwood and scraped vanilla pod, dried coriander and poached green apples. In the mouth, the wine is opulent and very ripe, with custard powder and caramel, nashi pears and lemon drops. The finish broadens out a little…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Cassandra Charlick-Camerer, Wine Pilot

Full malolactic fermentation,  7% new oak for nine months. Very inviting on the nose thanks to crème brulee creaminess, artisan candied fruit, vanilla bean and slight honeysuckle musk. The perfumed oak is in abundance, with a delicate toast, charry fringes and plenty of prettiness. Following on, the palate is unctuous and has a ripe, almost…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Jane Faulkner – James Halliday, The Wine Companion

Sauvignon blanc. On song with its flavours and texture; it’s really a classy wine. A beautiful balance of white stone fruit, citrus and gooseberries with a smidge of feijoa. The textural palate steals the show with its creamed honey lees and subtle oak with a slight phenolic tug adding extra depth. Love this wine. August,…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Complex and engaging, the bouquet shows ripe peach, lemon peel, nougat and subtle pastry aromas, leading to a splendidly weighted palate offering saline texture combined with bright acidity. Superbly structured with alluring flavours, finishing wonderfully long and vibrant. A blend of 94% Sauvignon Blanc & 6% Semillon. At its best: 2026 to 2036. April, 2024.

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot

This is a wine which takes us into a different realm of Sauvignon Blanc, with whole bunch pressing, fermentation in stainless steel tanks before transfer to oak. 225 litre French oak barriques, 7% new, with nine months maturation. The nose offers florals and seabreeze notes, a real oystershell character to be found here. A minerally…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Fergal Gleeson, Great Wine Blog

The plan was to revamp how they made Sauvignon Blanc. They had an eye on the great whites of the Loire Valley as a template. Well 2023 Elsa is their best yet. Handpicked and sorted, the grapes get the luxury treatment in the vineyard and winery. Elsa ’23 is disciplined and tought and emphasises zest…

Read more

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Elsa – Angus Hughson, Vinous.com

The finely tuned 2023 White Blend Elsa Ribbon Vale is generously proportioned and youthful as it radiates grapefruit and lemon pith with a touch of exotic green mango and green herbs, all well integrated with French oak. Expressive and creamy textured oak flavors add backbone to what is a sophisticated array of flavors that fill…

Read more

VINTAGE NOTES

 

After the challenges of the 2018-19 growing season, the story of 2019-20 is one of delightful simplicity.  It is true that rainfall in calendar year 2019 was a little on the low side, with 779mm rain compared with our average of 1000mm but that was still plenty for the vines.

Sauvignon Blanc flowered slightly early on 15th November in near-perfect conditions.  There were only a few odd showers of rain and temperatures were nice and warm.  Indeed, across the entire growing season, we averaged 20.1°C, which is just about perfect for grape ripening.  We had no disease issues and although the birds were a bit hungry, we kept them at bay with the nets.  Sauvignon Blanc sailed through to full ripeness of 12.8° Baume 12 days ahead of average on 15th February.

Surely even the grumpiest farmer couldn’t complain?

Well, yes, we can - the trick was in the yield.  We knew as we filled the bins in the vineyard the crop was lighter than we’d hoped and sure enough, once we started weighing it at the winery it was clear things were well down.  Sauvignon Blanc, normally very reliable was reduced by an irritating 25% to 8.01 tonnes per hectare.  For the explanation, we have to go all the way back to spring, October 24th, in fact, when a very solid hailstorm in the wee small hours gave Wilyabrup a fair belting.  Such is life.

PRODUCTION NOTES

 

Since our change to the new style for the “Elsa” with the 2019 vintage, we have plenty of fun with Sauvignon Blanc in the winery.  The new technique allows us to use our imagination and explore the complex end of winemaking.

Oh, and because we’re Moss Wood and such big fans of Semillon, we like to have some of that in the blend, 10% in the 2020 wine.

It adds complexity to the nose and depth to the palate, even at this small percentage.  Also, in a departure from our “normal” Semillon production, in the Elsa it gets all the same fancy techniques that we apply to the Sauvignon Blanc.

After sorting and pressing, the must is settled for 48 hours in stainless steel then the clear juice is racked to a second tank to commence fermentation.  Where we once fermented crystal clear Sauvignon Blanc, now we leave it very slightly cloudy, seeking some lightly caramel notes from the solids.  Multiple yeast strains are then introduced for primary fermentation and these add further nuances to both the nose and the palate.

Once the ferment has reached the halfway mark, the juice is then racked to French oak barriques of which 6% were new.  We are not looking for strong oak notes in this wine but certainly want the benefits of the improved palate weight from fermentation in small oak, as well as the evolution of the yeasty, bready notes as the wine ages on lees.

After primary fermentation we encouraged the secondary fermentation, something that can be challenging for the very temperature-sensitive malolactic bacteria when the winery begins to cool off as autumn sets in.  Patience is a virtue and by the end of June it was finally complete.  If visitors to Moss Wood ever wonder why there are rows of barrels sitting outside on a sunny day in May, the answer is simple.  We need every bit of warmth we can find to keep the Sauvignon Blanc secondary fermentation going.

Once this was finished, the wine was racked to stainless steel, blended and adjusted for sulphur dioxide then returned to barrel, where it stayed for a total of 9 months.  On 5th January 2021 it was racked and blended in stainless steel, fined with bentonite for protein stability and then sterile filtered and bottled on 15th January.

Tasting Notes

Colour and condition:

Light to medium straw hue; bright condition.

Nose:

Lifted scents of lychee, gooseberry and passionfruit, with caramel and a spiciness, reminiscent of nutmeg, with freshly baked pastry.  In the background is a touch of toasty oak..

Palate:

The initial impression follows the nose with generous caramel and lychee flavours sitting over full body and lively acidity, with leafy notes at the end.  There is some tannin but the finish is clean, courtesy of the concentration and good length of flavour.

Cellaring:

From a relatively small crop and with good concentration, there is no doubt the wine will cellar well.  The lively fruit notes will form the major part of the wine for at least 5 years but as it approaches 10 years of age, the secondary notes should start to play a role.  Therefore, for those wanting to see some aging, we suggest a minimum of 10 years cellaring.