Winery: Moss Wood
Region: Margaret River
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2009
Your Wine Guy says:
Moss Wood is one of the oldest Margaret River wineries and has an enviable reputation for high quality, stylish wines. The 2009 Chardonnay shows layers of grapefruit, white nectarine and some honey notes with delicious, spicy vanilla oak on the nose. The palate is fresh and crisp due to good natural acidity and minerality and the fruit flavours are finely balanced with creamy malty oak flavours that last for ages. The oak really lifts the fruit flavours of this wine. Outstanding chardonnay fruit power here with a creamy, toasty, honeyed finish. One of the best chardonnays in the country, if not the world.
98 Points YWG Drink to 2020+
The winemaker says:
Colour: Medium to deep straw hue and condition is bright.
Nose: There is considerable volume and the nose presents as a lifted combination of fruit aromas and blossom-like cents, reminiscent of honeysuckle or nasturtium. The aromas are typical Moss Wood, with yellow flesh nectarine, peach and passionfruit. There are also interesting complex notes of malt biscuit, caramel, mature cheese and charry oak and once again, the usual Moss Wood marmalade characters.
Palate: The wine initially fills the mid-palate with generous, ripe stone fruit flavours and these combine with full body and lively acidity to give lifted, juicy mouth feel. There are complex secondary flavours of citrus and oak and roast nut and malt that combine to give an almost lemon meringue pie combination on the finish. Despite the presence of oak, the tannins are in good balance, so the wine has a clean finish, with a smooth texture. – Moss Wood
Given the quality of the vintage in general, we have no hesitation in recommending this wine for cellaring, despite its youthful approachability. Certainly it can be enjoyed as a young wine but for those who have the space and the patience, and an enthusiasm for old wines, we strongly recommend it be kept till at least 10 years of age. By then it will have developed some complex bottle bouquet but will not be reaching its peak. We anticipate it will drink at its most complex between 15 and 20 years old and should hold that status for at least a further 5 years beyond that. – Moss Wood
Winery/Label Information:
Moss Wood is a premium wine producer located in the Margaret River Wine region of Western Australia. The area is regarded as one of Australia's premium grape growing regions.
Listed in the Exceptional category of Langton’s Classification V of Fine Australian wines. One of only 4 Cabernet wines in the top Exceptional category.
Dr. Bill Pannell, one of Margaret River's early pioneers, established Moss Wood in 1969. By the early 1980s the Cabernet Sauvignons were regarded as something very special. Keith Mugford, who began as an assistant winemaker and his wife Clare purchased the property in 1985. They have taken Moss Wood to the pinnacle of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wines produced at Moss Wood are Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Semillon and from Moss Wood's Ribbon Vale Vineyard, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Merlot and Merlot. There is also a Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, produced from grapes sourced from Yallingup and Cowaramup and since 2008, a Moss Wood Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir, produced from grapes sourced from that famous Victorian region.
Proprietors Clare and Keith Mugford enjoy the challenge of consistently producing high quality wines at Moss Wood. All decisions made in the vineyard and winery are based on the effect they will have on the quality of the wine. – Moss Wood
James Halliday writes of Moss Wood “Widely regarded as one of the best wineries in the region, capable of producing glorious Semillon in both oaked and unoaked forms, unctuous Chardonnay and elegant, gently herbaceous, superfine Cabernet Sauvignon, which lives for many years.” 5 Red Stars
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