2022 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

90/2.5/2.5/2.5/2.5% cabernet sauvignon/merlot/cabernet franc/malbec/petit verdot. For such a youthful cabernet, this is perfectly pitched and composed. A delight to drink now, so I did, all thanks to the neat combo of cassis, mulberries, fresh herbs and oak spices. Nothing out of place. The medium-weighted palate reveals its elegance thanks to fine tannins and a level of detail we come to expect from this producer, and thus not disappointing.

96 points Jane Faulkner winecompanion.com.au

Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River is a deep, structured and beautifully polished example of what this famed region does best. Ribbon Vale is Moss Wood’s southern Wilyabrup vineyard, a site first planted in the early seventies and acquired by the Mugford family in 2000. Here, old vines dig into classic gravelly loams over clay and ironstone, soils that have made Margaret River a global benchmark for Cabernet. Sea breezes from the Indian Ocean moderate the warm afternoons, giving long, slow ripening with perfect tannin maturity and aromatic lift. Meticulous hand picking, berry selection, extended skin contact and maturation in fine French oak complete a winemaking philosophy built on detail and patience.

The nose is wonderfully complex and evocative of place. Blackcurrant, mulberry and dark cherry take the lead, layered with red cassis, plum skin and a cool forest herb fragrance reminiscent of bay, sage and eucalypt leaf. Beneath the fruit lies cedar, graphite and pencil lead, hallmarks of Cabernet grown on gravel, along with warm earth, subtle spice and a hint of cocoa. As the wine relaxes in the glass, tobacco leaf, clove, black olive tapenade and dried florals join the tapestry.

The palate is structured, powerful and deeply refined. Silky yet authoritative tannins frame flavours of blackcurrant, blueberry and sour cherry, fused with savoury hints of cedarwood, mocha and dark chocolate. There is vibrancy in the acidity, guiding the wine with energy and precision through a long finish marked by cassis, spice and that unmistakable Margaret River mineral edge. It already shows impressive harmony, but it is unquestionably built for the long haul. Fifteen to twenty years in the cellar will draw out layers of cigar box, truffle, graphite and soy while retaining its core of dark fruit purity.

This is a Cabernet worthy of a grand dining moment: roast lamb with rosemary and garlic, chargrilled beef rib, venison with juniper, mushroom ragù, hard aged cheeses or simply a quiet evening where conversation slows and the wine takes centre stage. Ribbon Vale displays Moss Wood’s signature finesse with a touch more savoury gravitas, making it one of Margaret River’s most compelling Cabernet releases.