The 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
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Moss Wood News. - 6/30/2004 12:50 PM Issue 54 >> July 2004 grapes - to keep tannin extraction to a cabernet franc (3%) and petit verdot (4%), The 2001 Moss Wood minimum. After the end of a two year which has been standard since 1997. There Cabernet Sauvignon experiment with wild yeast, fermentation are such small amounts of cabernet franc was activated by pure yeast culture and took and petit verdot at Moss Wood that, if good It’s hard to imagine two more different Moss place at the usual warm temperatures - up to enough (and they invariably are), go into the Wood Cabernet Sauvignons than the 2000 32°C. Each fermentation vat was hand wine as they add some pleasing complexity. plunged four times a day and the wine was left and the 2001. The former, the most Production Manager Ian Bell, is always on skins for between 10 to 14 days after approachable of them all - supple, almost pushing Keith to make a Cheval Blanc look- fermentation. As usual, the lush, deep cassis and mulberry flavours with alike by putting aside some decision about how long to ripe, substantial yet almost gentle tannins. cabernet franc and the tiny leave it on skins was made by Keith describes it as a “lake of flavour” while fraction of merlot (0.3%), tasting the wine daily. “yummy” is another descriptor that springs bunging it into new oak and readily to mind. On the other hand, the After that, it was pressed and selling it at an outrageous 2001 is very much in the mould of the placed into barrel (50% new price. Keith has, thus far, classic years of the greatest Moss Woods: French oak, 50% two year resisted this temptation. 1975, 1976, 1980, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996 old) for two years with all the and 1999. pressings included in the Although it’s early days, the One of the best vintages in Margaret River finished wine. At the 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet was not without its problems. Early beginning of July 2003, it Sauvignon is arguably the flowering meant that Moss Wood was was racked into tank for greatest wine yet released subjected to the earliest bird damage ever assemblage and filtered from the vineyard. It has a and harvest began about 10 days ahead of (but not fined) before fragrant nose of mulberries, schedule. The summer was mild and drier being bottled in August blackberries and violets with than usual and it proved to be a copybook 2003 and then rested for a a touch of earth and some growing season. There was a hot spell in year before release. spicy, cedary notes while the palate is deep, densely February - five consecutive days in the Last year, Moss Wood bottled flavoured with ripe cassis high 30’s - which sent the grape sugars up. 200 cases of the 2000 and mulberry, complexed by Light rains in the second week of March Cabernet Sauvignon under chocolate and coffee bean slowed down ripening to the benefit of the screwcap to ensure that the characters. This is a cabernet. Keith was reminded of 1991: wine is not affected by cork profound, powerful red, there were no highlights during vintage taint. In the newsletter, Keith opulent and concentrated and he had no great expectations at commented that he expected with impressive weight harvest, but once the wine was in the that 1500 cases (or half the production) showing fine, ripe tannins on a long, winery it looked very good indeed. would be under screwcap with the 2001. In lingering finish. The oak and densely packed fact, 70% of that vintage has been sealed The production of the wine was routine for fruit are seamlessly integrated even at this under the Stelvin closure. the team at Moss Wood. For the second stage. It is built for the long haul and, if well vintage, the flash Delta E2 was used to The blend for the 2001 Moss Wood cellared, will improve over the next ten years destem the berries without crushing the Cabernet was cabernet sauvignon (93%), and remain at its peak long after that. Moss Wood Pty Ltd PO Box 225 Cowaramup Western Australia 6284 Ph: +61 8 9755 6266 Fax: +61 8 9755 6303 MWwww.mosswood.com.au [email protected] Moss Wood News. - 6/30/2004 12:50 PM SEESAW’S HIGH FINISH: James Halliday in The Australian 7/12/03 Moss Wood is one of Australia’s iconic red produced a wine high in alcohol (14.3 tannin levels, the wine has abundant fruit wines, largely pre-sold to a devoted band per cent) with red berry fruit and vanilla and a lovely silky texture. of followers who take their mailing-list oak. The ‘77 vintage conditions, says As in other parts of Australia, ‘89 was a allocation year in, year out, the remainder Mugford, were a cross between ‘75 and year to forget but nature made up with Campbell Mattinson: distributed by the Fine Wine Specialist to ‘76, and produced an imposing wine, two “dream vintages” (Mugford’s reviewswww.winefrontmonthly.com.au an equally loyal network of fine wine penetrating and long, with redcurrant description) in ‘90 and ‘91, the former retailers and restaurants. Do not expect and mulberry running through an making a super-stylish and elegant April 2004 to find it discounted or to buy it cheap on excellent finish. wine, the latter rich, voluptuous and the auction market: Langton’s rates it as No Moss Wood was released from the lush - great wines both. The latter, Moss Wood Margaret River Cabernet one of seven exceptional wines. ‘78, although a wine was made; I have incidentally, was the last year in which Bill and Sandra Pannell were part of the tasted it on previous occasions and it was Moss Wood made a special reserve wine, Sauvignon 2001: Reserved, young, raw, select group of doctors who established, surprisingly good. The mild ‘79 vintage, kept longer in the barrel. Since then, all primary, somewhat closed and yet still respectively, Moss Wood, Cullen (Kevin Mugford’s first, produced a sturdy wine, the cabernet has been given two years in and Di Cullen), and Vasse Felix (Tom faintly herbaceous, which took the ‘75 as barrel. managing to drive a clear wedge of class Cullity) in the early 1970s, setting its model but didn’t quite get there. The ‘92 and ‘93 showed dreams don’t last between it and the bulk of its competition. Margaret River on the way to fame, if not Having (by pure chance) drunk several forever; the wines were unable to rise Fruit of ultimate, coiled purity, yet suggestive immediate fortune. bottles of the 1980 from my own cellar in above the vicissitudes of the weather. Each made Cabernet Sauvignon its the month or so before the tasting, and Thereafter came a great run of vintages, of complexity even in its extreme youth. Taut principal wine; the arrival of merlot, having loved each one, the abundant only ‘97 breaking the line. Cabernet through its centre, yet even so its ripe, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot dark and red fruits, soft, lilting tannins franc joined the picture in ‘90, petit came much later, to add an extra touch of and seductive aftertaste came as no verdot in ‘96, and these components no velvety, blackcurranty fruit is obvious. In complexity as the winemakers and the surprise. By contrast the small crop in doubt helped build complexity. For me, many ways, the perfect, varietal, young public looked for more sophistication. 1981 led to a tannic wine that, Mugford the ‘90, ‘91, ‘95, ‘96 and ‘99 are the finest, cabernet. Drink: 2010-2026. 97 points. The first vintage was 1974, of which observes, has only started to soften and with ‘94 and ‘98 not far behind. none survives in the Moss Wood cellars, open up over the past three to four years. Small crops and mild growing conditions so the 1975 opened a vertical tasting of A big crop was produced in 1982 in cool meant 1995 was destined to be one of the four decades organised by John Newton conditions and the wine is no better than great Margaret River years and the Moss of Vintage Cellars in Melbourne. it should be. The following year was hot Wood wine does not disappoint. Ray Jordan: It was a collaborative effort, bottles and dry, the ripe black fruits Perfectly ripened, with great colour, it is coming in part from those who attended overshadowed by the tannins, which will densely packed with luscious The magnificent dozen - West and in part from Moss Wood’s cellars. probably outlive the fruit. The year 1984 blackcurrant and dark chocolate fruit, Leaping forward for a moment, Keith was akin to 1982 and Mugford’s desire to soft tannins and perfect oak. Australia Fresh - 6 May 04 Mugford (with wife Clare) joined Moss produce an elegant, Bordeaux style It is the template for the succeeding Wood as winemaker in 1979 and in 1984 succeeded all too well, the wine simply vintages, varied only by a foray into wild Which wines couldn’t you live without? We purchased the business from the too light. yeast fermentation for the ‘99 and 2000 Pannells. It has resulted in a very The ‘85 is an utterly delicious wine, sweet vintages, a move that Mugford says has choose our ‘desert-island’ survival pack...... consistent style, anchored on a very fruit expressing itself from the first whiff not been, nor will be, repeated. When distinguished vineyard site. through to the lingering finish. A small you taste the upcoming ‘01, you will ...I’d also have to have a Moss Wood cabernet The ‘75 was an outstanding bottle of a crop in ‘86 resulted in a tannic wine, very understand why: the warm summer and sauvignon.