Wine Region	Margaret River, Western Australia
Wine Maker	Keith Mugford, Josh Bahen, Amanda Shepherdson
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. 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 produced from grapes sourced from Yallingup and Cowaramup. Owners Keith and Clare 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. Experimentation in the vineyard has been matched at the winery and the wines have undergone subtle refinements over the past decade. Two factors have resulted in the production of Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, which are more complex and have greater finesse. The wines are given longer skin contact time during fermentation and small amounts of Cabernet Franc (5%) and Merlot (0.05%) are now included in the blend. From the 1995 vintage onwards, Petit Verdot has contributed 5% to the wine. The benchmarks for the Moss Wood style, however, remain the Cabernet Sauvignons made between 1974 and 1977. Burgundian influences have seen new techniques used in the production of Moss Wood Pinot Noir: the addition of whole bunches of grapes to the crush, longer skin contact time during fermentation and hand and feet plunging to mix the skins while the must is fermenting. These refinements in winemaking have been responsible for an improvement in the quality and consistency of the style. There has been a slight but significant refinement in the style of Moss Wood Chardonnay. It now spends nine to ten months in barrel on its lees without being stirred with a significant proportion undergoing a full malolactic fermentation during this time. Experimentation has resulted in the winery being more specific in its choice of oak for the Chardonnay: one hundred percent of the wine is barrel fermented in medium toasted Troncais and Allier oak. The style of the Moss Wood Semillon has evolved since 1980 with the emphasis on achieving good depth of fruit flavour.
What the critics have to say!
Widely regarded as one of the best wineries in the region, capable of producing glorious Semillon in both oaked and unoaked form, unctuous Chardonnay and elegant, gentle herbaceous, superfine Cabernet Sauvignon which lives for many years. 5 Star Rating James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion - 2008
One of the iconic Margaret River producers, Moss Wood is firing on its traditional cylinders of estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Semillon, as well as steadily upgrading the style and quality of the wines from the nearby Ribbon Vale vineyard. Keith Mugford’s ambition is to achieve opulent, densely concentrated fruit in his flagship Cabernet Sauvignon, and the price he pays for this is an alcoholic strength that is marginally higher than ideal. That said these wines are invariably delicious and thoroughly deserving their reputation. Jeremy Oliver – The Australian Wine Annual - 2008