Planted in 1969, Moss Wood is an important, founding estate of the Margaret River wine region, located in the northern sub–region of Wilyabrup, Western Australia. Clare & Keith Mugford, as winemakers, viticulturalists & proprietors, have been making wine & tending the vineyard at Moss Wood since 1984 & 1979, respectively. Their exacting viticulture ensures the production of grapes of excellent quality & they have created a stable of fine wines distinguished by their consistency over each vintage & their ability to age superbly.

First crafted in 1980 and released commercially in 1983, Moss Wood's Chardonnay has earned a reputation for its exceptional harmony of richness and elegance. Matured in 228 litre French oak and 54% were new.  After a full malolactic fermentation, all the barrels were blended, the finished wine was adjusted and returned to oak, where it stayed for 16 months.

Winemaker Notes

The initial impression is one of freshness, with bright grapefruit, melon, peach and butterscotch flavours, some might say custard tart, sitting over fresh acid and full body, an unctuous combination.  The tannin structure is firm but clean, with no bitterness and then there is a spicy, toasty oak note on the finish. 

In term of cellaring, Its youthful brightness means over the first 5 years it will be enjoyable for those who prefer lots of generous young fruit flavours.  As it ages through 10 years, this will diminish a little and the bottle bouquet of butter and toast will begin to play a bigger role.  Once it reaches 20 years of age, these will be the dominant characters and the wine will be fully mature. However, it should maintain good balance and be enjoyable drinking for at least another decade. Moss Wood