Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

The 2021 was one of our coolest seasons on record and we still managed to get full ripeness in Cabernet Sauvignon, despite having to play a game of dodge the showers at the end. As each variety approached maturity, we kept an eye on the weather and jumped in to pick before or after the rain. The length of the season shows how patient we had to be. All the varieties needed slightly more than 140 days to get from flowering to harvest, roughly 3 weeks longer than average. We started with Malbec on 6th April and then picked Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc on 13th, 14th and 17th April, respectively. The important thing to note is that even though temperatures were mild, the length of season meant all varieties kept making progress and both the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot have ripe, soft tannins. To start the winemaking discussion, we point out that Moss Wood remains a completely hand-run vineyard. All vineyard operations are done by people – cane pruning, shoot positioning and then harvesting. This is something that is very rare in the Australian wine industry because the associated costs are so high. However, what is important is the quality outcomes and our aim, every year, is to deliver the best possible wine the vintage allows us. Modern viticultural and winemaking machinery is very efficient and does a reasonable quality job. However, so far, at least, hand management delivers the best finished wines.

Tasting Profile

Aroma:

Baking Spice, Berries, Cedar

Palate:

Baked Earth, Black Fruits, Cassis

Food Pairings:

Game

Red Meat