1996 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasted: 10/09/1999. Moss Wood has followed Cullens in deciding to no longer produce a reserve wine in addition to the traditional Moss Wood Cabernet. Instead Keith Mugford has decided to concentrate his efforts on making one great Cabernet in the reserve style. 1996 is the first vintage in which Moss Wood have made the Cabernet in the reserve style and it has been given an extra 6 months in oak and an extra 6 months bottle maturation before release.1996 was a perfect growing season and this has resulted in a wine which winemaker Keith Mugford beleives is the best he has made. This is the most complex and complete wine of the Moss Wood Cabernets, and certainly reflecting the viticultural management changes in the vineyard, as well as the changes in fermentation and blend. This is clearly the peak, after years of carefully introduced changes.The wine was matured in a combination of 50% new French oak and 50% two and three year old barrels for a period of two years. Opaque brick red colour. The nose is the most complex of the line up. Liquorice, chocolate, spice and confectionary aromas abound. Full bodied palate, generous, with pronounced flavours of blackcurrant, spice, cedar and a trace of vanilla. Perfect balance. Fine grained tannins followed by long mulberry, plum and spice aftertaste. Cellar 10-15 years.