Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River 2020

Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, Wilyabrup, Margaret River, Western Australia, 2020  

Grapes: 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc with 20 months in French oak (17% new), hand picked, unfined

Producer Tasting Notes:

Colour: Deep brick red hue; bright condition.

Nose: Dark and red berry aromas of blueberry, blackberry and redcurrant, plus some violets, cloves, dark jube and musk, a sure indicator of the presence of Petit Verdot.  The complex background is all about Cabernet Sauvignon, with lots of tar, dark chocolate, tobacco and even some cinnamon and toasty oak.

Palate: There is a concentration of all features which make this a classic, low-crop Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, which in many ways, takes us all the way back to 1981.  A full-bodied wine, there are generous blueberry and blackberry flavours, as well as dark, chocolate, coffee and licorice that fill the mid-palate.  They sit over a structure of fresh acidity and concentrated tannin, making the wine bright, long and, for Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, quite taut.

Cellaring: When we arrive at our cellaring advice, we always come up with the same question.  What are the comparable vintages from the past?  The prior years with similar yields were 1981, 2009, 2015 and 2016 and of those, the first two were hail-affected.  The 2020 definitely brings back memories of the tannins of the ’81 but also some of the pretty aromas of the ’15.  The key for us, though, is the 2020 is very much in the style of former and with that as our cellaring guide, this new vintage has a long life ahead and we anticipate relatively gradual development.  As always, it has Moss Wood’s typical early balance, with a youthful fruit depth that is enjoyable now.  However, do not be fooled.  Beneath the velvet glove is a clenched fist that will keep this wine going for many decades and it may well repeat the performance of its older sibling and take 2 decades to show significant development.

Critics' Tasting Notes:

"The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a child of the 2020 season, which was warm, early and low yielding, and the wines from the area have been decidedly structural, lushly fruited and powerful. All in all, they are excellent quality across the board, and this wine here is no exception. Dense tannins, layered with pink peppercorn, nori, blood, brine and bay leaf, were quite firm in this vintage, but with knowledge of how this wine ages, this is not a problem in the least. I've given it a conservative drinking window by decades, if stored well. Sealed under screw cap." Drink 2023-2055

97/100 points, Erin Larkin, WINE ADVOCATE, July 2023

"This 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is an effortless vintage from Moss Wood, although slightly unusual with 7% Petit Verdot (higher than the norm) and 3% Cabernet Franc (lower). It’s an old fashioned claret style, reserved yet precise and focused. It delivers black and red currants, violets and old cedar aromas. French oak relaxes and assures with a mid-weight palate defined by its powerful core of impressive fruit. What I love most is the structure. Very fine yet muscular tannins are beautifully integrated and deliver a finish of extreme length. A classic in the making that is already drinking superbly. Petit Verdot structure adds tension that will help this star age extremely well." Drink 2028-2040

97/100 points, Angus Hughson, VINOUS, May 2024

"90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. 17% new oak. Red and black fruit, something of an aniseed pastille thing here too, some floral notes, tobacco, cedar, and baking spice. It’s medium-bodied, kind of svelte and evenly weighted, just a little toasty oak, with some black olive and nori savoury elements. the tannin is quiet, and kind of latent, but swish it about in your mouth a bit, and their quality is revealed, especially on the long finish. I think this is going to be a beautiful wine with requisite bottle age, and is likely to rate (even) higher in time.!

95+/100 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front (Australia), 2024