In Bond Fine Wine. 2012 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon, Western Australia, Australia. Red australia - red in 12x75cl. Top critic score: 98/100 (JH). Drinking window: 2016+. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Established in 1969 in the Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, Moss Wood is one of the region’s great founding estates. First planted by Bill and Sandra Pannell on gravelly loam soils over clay, the property was taken on by Clare and Keith Mugford in the 1980s, who have since built Moss Wood into one of Australia’s most respected fine wine producers through meticulous viticulture and an uncompromising focus on quality. Inspired by the great wines of Bordeaux yet shaped by Margaret River’s distinctive maritime climate, Moss Wood produces wines of remarkable balance, depth and longevity. The estate’s flagship Cabernet Sauvignon remains one of Australia’s benchmarks for the variety - refined, classically structured and effortlessly ageworthy, combining cassis-rich fruit with fine tannins, subtle French oak and the freshness that defines the very best Margaret River Cabernet.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (LPB) — 95/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 2016-04-28 · Drink 2016 - 2027
Deep garnet in color with a slight purple in the rim, Moss Wood's 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon opens with notes of crème de cassis, blackberry tart and anise with nuances of cloves, cedar, pencil lead, menthol and dark chocolate. Medium-bodied with oodles of opulence and spice on offer in the mouth, it has a gorgeous velvety texture, just enough freshness and great length.
James Suckling (JS) — 96/100 · JamesSuckling.com, 2016-03-01 · Drink 2020+
A beautifully concentrated bold and ripe nose that has a lot of classy cedary oak and a core of cassis, dark cherry, blueberry and sweet spices, really nicely integrated; some gently earthy notes too. Great definition on the palate, really structured for the long haul. Deep and rich with plum and dark cherry flavors, cassis and mulberry too. Needs time, best from 2020. Screw cap.
Josh Raynolds (JR) — 94/100 · Vinous, 2016-03-01 · Drink 2021 - 2028
Brilliant ruby. Powerful, assertively perfumed aromas of fresh black and blue fruits, cured tobacco, cedary oak and potpourri. Sappy, densely packed and energetic on the palate, offering vibrant, spice-tinged cassis and mulberry flavors and an emerging mineral nuance. Finishes alluringly sweet and extremely long, with fine-grained tannins coming up slowly and adding grip.