Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay
| Wine Facts | |
|---|---|
| Median Harvest Date | 11/03/2025 |
| Harvest Ripeness | 13.2 °Be |
| Yield | 6.37 t/ha |
| Day Elapsed between Flowering and Harvest | 120 days |
| Bottled | 12/01/2026 |
| Released | 27/03/2026 |
| Alcohol | 14.0% |
Wine Facts
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Median Harvest Date
11/03/2025
-
Mean Harvest Ripeness
13.2 ⁰ Be
-
Yield
6.37 t/ha
-
Day Elapsed between Flowering and Harvest
120 days
-
Bottled
12/01/2026
-
Released
30/03/2026
-
Alcohol
14.0%
Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Huon Hooke, The Real Review
Deep purple-red colour, smoky, broken-rock, pencil-shavings aromas and the palate is full-bodied and densely textured with deep flavour and length. Traces of smoked meats. A firm and upright cabernet with masses of chewy but supple tannins that endure long on the follow-through. A high-potential cabernet that has everything ahead of…
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Elsa – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
The 2025 Elsa Sauvignon Blanc Semillon delivers a flamboyant upfront mix of guava, hay, lemon rind and lanolin aromas wrapped up in a tight blanket of spicy oak. Firm edged acidity provides impact before this wine fleshes out into a full-bodied and expressive package. Lots to like and enjoy over…
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
The 2025 Ribbon Vale Chardonnay is a delight showing an energetic core of seamless pear and apple aromas with an exotic twist. Creamy textured and full flavoured with some savoury nutty tones and beautifully integrated oak, this wine is delicious and here for a good time, not a long time….
Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Angus Hughson, Wine Pilot
The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is extraordinary. Tasted first from barrel, it was a picture of restrained power and nothing has changed with seamless and perfectly composed aromas of cassis and red currant with a gentle lining of dried herb. This is a wine of elegance, pinpoint balance and precision rather…
Moss Wood 2008 Chardonnay – Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
A glorious mature Margaret River Chardonnay, this is deep gold in color, offering obvious depth and maturity. The nose exhibits notes of hazelnuts, stewed peaches, honeysuckle, and gunflint. Fully developed and utterly delicious; there is power and intensity, and yet we still have refinement. Immeasurably long, this is finely balanced…
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Merlot – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal
Medium deep crimson. Fresh dark plum, redcurrant, cedar, black olive aromas and flavours with herb garden/ star anise notes. A core of sweet fruit with underlying cedar/ fine grainy tannins and hints of vanilla oak. Finishes grippy firm with some sappy notes. Very buoyant and expressive but probably best to…
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal
Medium deep crimson. Attractive cassis, blackberry pastille. dark chocolate aromas with some cedar notes. Inky deep with abundant blackcurrant, blackberry fruits, underlying vanilla, roasted chestnut notes, fine grainy – touch al dente tannins and fresh long tangy acidity. Finishes velvety firm and juicy. Still elemental but lovely richness and volume….
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Elsa – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal
Pale colour. Very attractive waxy, lemon curd, honey aromas with hints marzipan. Supple and minerally with ample waxy, lemon curd, tonic water, touch leafy flavours, looseknit chalky textures, lovely mid-palate volume and fresh long crisp acidity. Some aniseed notes at the finish. Ready to drink. 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillon….
Moss Wood Ribbon Vale 2025 Chardonnay – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal
Pale colour. Fresh tropical fruit, lemon curd, grapefruit aromas with underlying cashew nut, vanilla notes. Well concentrated lemon curd, grapefruit, hint pineapple fruits, fine lacy touch al dente textures and some underlying marzipan, vanilla notes. Finishes crisp and fruity. A very pleasing style. At the middle of fermentation, the wine…
Moss Wood 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon – Andrew Caillard, The Vintage Journal
Deep crimson. Intense blackcurrant, espresso, roasted chestnut aromas with hints of black olive/ spice. Inky deep and generously concentrated with ample cassis, black cherry, mocha flavours, superb roasted chestnut/ marzipan notes, and classical fine-grained tannins. Builds up claret/ cedar firm with a lovely pure black currant plume. The oak is…
VINTAGE NOTES
2025 Ribbon Vale Vintage
The 2024/25 growing season at Ribbon Vale progressed steadily and without major disruption, allowing both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to ripen in a measured and unforced manner. Calendar year rainfall in 2024 totalled 910mm, below the long-term average of 1012mm, but sufficient to establish adequate soil moisture reserves in this dry-grown vineyard.
Spring conditions were ideal. During flowering, Chardonnay received 14.4mm of rainfall and Sauvignon Blanc 9.4mm. While rainfall at this stage of the season can influence crop levels, these modest falls occurred under otherwise favourable conditions and had no negative impact on fruit set. Final yields reflected this, with Chardonnay cropping at 6.37 tonnes per hectare and Elsa at 7.75 tonnes per hectare.
As the season moved into summer, temperatures remained moderate, with no prolonged heat events. The growing season average temperature for Elsa was 20.42°C, effectively identical to the long-term average of 20.43°C, while Chardonnay recorded a slightly cooler-than-average growing season at 20.07°C compared with its long-term average of 20.36°C.
From the beginning of January through to harvest, 22.8mm of rain was recorded. This modest rainfall ensured the vines were not subject to water stress during the latter part of ripening, while remaining low enough to avoid dilution. Ripening progressed evenly, with Elsa completing its cycle in 101 days from flowering to harvest, closely aligned with its long-term average of 100 days. Ribbon Vale Chardonnay recorded 120 days from flowering to harvest, consistent with its long-term average.
Harvest timing differed slightly between the two wines. Elsa was harvested seven days later than its long-term average, reflecting the even pace of ripening, while Ribbon Vale Chardonnay was harvested two days earlier than average, consistent with timely flavour development.
Taken together, the season was defined by consistency rather than extremes. Favourable spring conditions established solid yields, followed by a mild summer that allowed for steady, uninterrupted ripening. Rainfall was sufficient to support vine function without compromising concentration, and harvest timings were closely aligned with long-term averages. The wines show good balance and structure, in line with what we would expect from these conditions.
PRODUCTION NOTES
All fruit was hand-picked and delivered to the winery, where it was hand-sorted and whole-bunch pressed. The juice was clarified and seeded with multiple yeast strains for primary fermentation, which commenced in stainless steel tanks with temperatures controlled to a maximum of 20°C.
At the halfway point of fermentation, the wine was transferred to 228-litre French oak barriques, 32% of which were new, to complete alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation. Maturation continued in oak for approximately nine months before the wine was racked and blended in stainless steel. Fining trials were conducted, however none were found to be beneficial. The wine was fined with bentonite for protein stability, cold stabilised, sterile filtered and bottled on 12 January 2026.
Tasting Notes
Colour and condition:
Clear and bright condition; pale straw with light golden hues.
Nose:
Lifted aromas of citrus and white peach, supported by preserved lemon, subtle florals and restrained oak influence
Palate:
Medium to full bodied with fine phenolics and fresh acidity. Flavours of stone fruit and citrus are layered with subtle notes of nougat and fresh pastry. The finish is long, composed and well balanced.
Cellaring:
Ribbon Vale Chardonnay is attractive in its youth but clearly structured for extended cellaring. We recommend a minimum of 10 years in bottle, with the potential to develop further complexity over 20 years.