2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River
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Tasting notes
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc. Houghton selection clone. First planted in 1969. Un-irrigated, Scott Henry trellis. Soils ranging from sandy loam to a gravelly, red-brown loam, over clay subsoil. The season leading up to the 2005 harvest was almost copybook with ideal conditions for the vines. Hand-picked fruit, destemmed into open tanks, hand-plunged four times a day, then plunged once a day and monitored for tannin extraction. Temperature did not exceed 30 °C. Malolactic fermentation in barrel. In the first year, the batches were kept separate. After 12 months, all batches were combined, then racked back into barrel. At the end of the second year, the wine was racked into stainless-steel tanks in preparation for bottling. The wine was then filtered and bottled on 1 May 2007. Bright crimson with a pale rim. A very delicate touch – some ‘mineral’ notes and lots of lift. Is this due to the Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc? I actually wondered about Merlot but perhaps only because the label reminds me of Pichon Lalande! Very smooth, well-worked tannins. Hint of saltiness on the end. Much more approachable than the Cullen Diana Madeline 2004. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jay S Miller, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon “Moss Wood Vineyard” received the same oak treatment. Although excellent, it comes off as being more structured, firmer, and less generous. There are excellent flavors but the finish is slightly compact. Perhaps extended cellaring will round out the 2005 but the 2004 is a much safer bet. Moss Wood Winery, located in the Margaret River GI in Western Australia, is owned by Keith and Clare Mugford. Fruit is sourced from their estate vineyards and purchased from selected individual vineyards but never intermingled. Total production ranges from 12,000 to 15,000 cases. Importer: Michael Opdahl, Joshua Tree Imports, Duarte, CA; www.mosswood.com.au; Also tasted: 2005 Chardonnay”Moss Wood Vineyard” (82), 2005 Merlot “Ribbon Vale Vineyard” (82), 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot “Ribbon Vale Vineyard” (83)