Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Sauvignon Semillon Margaret River 2018
Medium to full body wine, fresh acidity, soft tannins and clean finish. Stainless steel fermented.
TASTING NOTES
Colour and condition:
The hue is light to medium straw with green tints. Condition is bright.
Nose:
A lifted and zesty aroma combination of leaf, gooseberry and citrus of Sauvignon Blanc, combining with a nice addition of lemon sherbet and fig from the Semillon. There are also some nice bread dough-like notes underneath, a product of the barrel fermentation.
Palate:
Here the theme of freshness continues, with a zesty leaf and citrus fruit depth, lifted by crisp acidity. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and the texture is nicely rounded, with a touch of bread dough. The finish is clean, with no lingering tannin or bitterness.
PRODUCTION NOTES
Having raw material of this quality meant that in the winery our aim was to make sure we got it safely in to bottle. For both varieties, the hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed and the juice was settled in stainless tank. The clear juice was racked to stainless steel, fermentation was commenced with multiple yeast strains and after 4 days, the must was racked to barrels. All were 228 litre French barriques but none were new, because we are only seeking the textural improvement rather than oak character.
After fermentation was completed, all the barrels were racked to stainless steel, with final blend being 74% Sauvignon Blanc and 26% Semillon.
Fining trials were then carried out and the wine was treated only with bentonite for protein stability. The balance of the wine was excellent and no improvement was found using the proteinaceous agents, egg white or skim milk. It was then sterile filtered and bottled on 6th July, 2018.
CELLARING NOTES
With all this freshness, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon is a difficult thing to resist and really, it should be drunk young, when these characters are so much to the fore. Nevertheless, for those who want to see some softening of the palate and a little more caramel-like complexity on the nose, we recommend at least 5 years aging.
| Winery | Moss Wood |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Western Australia |
| Specific Appellation | Margaret River |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Grape variety | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Bottle Size | Bottle |
| Vintage | 2018 |
Browse all Moss Wood wines
Planted in 1969, Moss Wood is an important, founding estate of the Margaret River wine region, located in the northern sub–region of Wilyabrup, Western Australia. Clare & Keith Mugford, as winemakers, viticulturalists & proprietors, have been making wine & tending the vineyard at Moss Wood since 1984 & 1979, respectively. Their exacting viticulture ensures the production of grapes of excellent quality & they have created a stable of fine wines distinguished by their consistency over each vintage & their ability to age superbly. The Moss Wood & Mugford names are synonymous with uncompromising quality.
Moss Wood was established as a specialist, high-quality winery. This was its raison d’être and still provides the motivation for its continued existence.
It is Clare and Keith’s belief that all decisions made in the vineyard, or at the winery, are based on the effect they will have on the quality of the wine. As a new wine producing area, Margaret River has a short viticultural history, therefore winemakers need to be continually reassessing their soil management practices and the performance of their vines if they are to understand the viticulture of the region and obtain the best results in the vineyard.
We put significant effort into developing an appropriate style for each of our varieties but the Cabernet Sauvignon, being the first wine, was our primary focus at the time. Naturally, we looked to the great wines of Bordeaux for inspiration and carefully examined the style of numerous of that region’s wines in the search for clues.
We were making wine in Margaret River and if we wanted to make wines like those of the Medoc, then that’s where we should go. Margaret River’s individual climate meant it would always be different.
At Moss Wood we believe wine quality is determined in the vineyard and viticultural techniques are constantly reassessed and informed by current research, both of others and our own. This has seen trials and improvements in trellising systems, soil conservation practices and pruning practices.
