These latest Moss Wood releases highlight the stature and enduring personality of this important Margaret River Estate. When the land was acquired in 1969, vigneron Dr Bill Pannell secured cuttings of cabernet sauvignon from the Swan Viticultural Research Station and planted a nursery in advance of planting a vineyard in 1970. These heritage vines are some of the oldest Houghton clone material in Margaret River. Finding older vintages of Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is getting harder and harder. For a long time this label has dominated the Australian collectible market and is renowned for its long aging capacity. Because of the wine’s reputation Moss Wood is regarded by many as a cabernet specialist, with its Ribbon Vale and Amy’s Vineyard offering different expressions, as a result of vineyard site and blending components.
These latest Moss Wood releases highlight the stature and enduring personality of this important Margaret River Estate.
2025 Moss Wood Amy’s blend, delivers well as a classic claret style with lovely pure dark fruits, roundness and gentle vigour. It’s an early drinking style with a life that will be preserved by screwcap, so should keep for a while.
2025 Moss Wood Chardonnay, based on some of the earliest plantings of Gingin clone (1976), shows individuality as well as displaying the hall marks of this exceptional vinestock material. Steering away from the flinty aromatics, it offers superb pure varietal definition while possessing textural suppleness, buoyancy and mineral length.
2026 Moss Wood Amy’s Cuvée Blanc, based on semillon and sauvignon Blanc, is exceptionally fresh and delicious to drink. It’s a wonderful addition to the range and worth seeking out.
2024 Moss Wood Pinot Noir, based on the region’s oldest pinot noir plantings (1973), is expressive with excellent varietal typicity and underlying new oak notes. Pinot Noir has never reached the heights of cabernet or chardonnay in Margaret River, but persistence with this variety has made it an idiosyncratic favourite among Moss Wood’s clientele.
While the musical chairs of Australian fine wine have seen many wineries jockey for position as leading brands, Moss Wood is undisputably one of the most important wine estates in Margaret River. Recently acknowledged with a lifetime Achievement Award (October 2026) at the Margaret River Wine Show, Keith and Clare Mugford have been instrumental in building the region’s reputation as one of the world’s classic wine regions. Joining Moss Wood in 1979 as its winemaker Keith Mugford and Clare were given the opportunity to buy the property in 1985. As much of a wine grower as a winemaker his attitude has always been “the quality and personality of wine is largely determined by vineyard”. Much of the effort has been focused on improving vineyard management practices and optimising fruit quality through science-based and proven techniques including the use of cover crops, minimum tillage and mulching. Although, in theory the practices employed are allied to sustainable growing philosophies, Keith Mugford has always had a viewpoint that such claims are misleading or confusing. But the Moss Wood brand of nurture is respectful to the land and seemingly in tune with the rhythm of nature.
Moss Wood is undisputably one of the most important wine estates in Margaret River.
2025 Moss Wood Chardonnay, Margaret River – Western Australia
Pale colour. Classic grapefruit, white peach, marzipan, vanilla aromas. Beautifully concentrated and crisp with ample stone fruit, grapefruit, tropical fruit flavours, fine slinky textures and persistent indelible acidity. Al dente notes at the finish. Pure, refreshing and delicious. Lovely drinking. 14% alc 98 points
2026 Moss Wood Cuvée Blanc, Margaret River – Western Australia
Park colour. Fresh grassy tropical fruit aromas with hint tonic water notes. Bitter lemon, tropical fruit, herbaceous flavours lovely mid palate volume and fresh indelible city. Refreshing and delicious. 14% doc 95 points
2025 Moss Wood Amy’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Margaret River – Western Australia
Medium deep crimson. Fresh inky cassis, dark plum aromas with herb garden notes. Fine grained with ample black and blue berry fruits, a touch of mid palate grip and fresh long aniseed notes. Juicy and slinky at the finish. Delicious young claret style. Drink now to 2032 14%alc 94 points
2024 Moss Wood Pinot Noir, Margaret River – Western Australia
Medium crimson. Fresh strawberry, chinotto aromas with hints of marzipan, star anise. Strawberry, marzipan, roasted chestnut, flavours, fine lacy hint sappy textures and long juicy acidity. Flavourful, buoyant and minerally. Drink now – 2032 14% alc 92 points
