Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 Sunday, Nov 20 2005
Tasting Notes and Australia and Margaret River and Variety and Red and cabernet et al
Spotted this in a bottle shop and decided to buy to see how it was coming along. The wine was warm(ish) initially so I popped it in an ice bucket to cool it down.
Cherry, beef stock, earth and tobacco, Artline Texta and alcohol. On the palate the flavours are excellent and quite intense with cherry, chocolate and earth being the major players. Attractive mouthfeel is spoilt by alcohol. Had a similar experience with the 2000 this year. I think these wines really need to be served quite cool and not drunk on a warm night. Hmmmmmmm I have marked down because of the unbalanced alcohol but on another day it may look quite different (lets hope 1/2 a dozen in the cellar…)
Rated : 90 Points
Tasted : Nov05
Alcohol : 14.5%
Price : $85
Closure : Cork
Drink : 2005 - 2010+
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18 Responses to “Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 1999”
June 18th, 2007 at 4:19 am
Dear Gary Walsh,
I am not experienced in terms of wine tasting. I have mostly been following the wine critics’ reviews to determine which premium bottles to horde, like poor lemmings. Nevertheless, I would like to hear comment from experts like you, and to share my experience with this wine:
Back in year 2002, a guy in bottle shop told me that this 99′ vintage have potential, so I listened to him and bought 2 dozen of those @ $65/bottle. At first (tasted in 2002), the nose was quite harsh as if I was sniffing paint thinner, the palate was too astringent as if I was consuming the grapefruit. Throughout the last 5 years with over 8 bottles popped, I have notice this wine have evolved to a more approachable status. The nose of cherry and mulberries. The tannin and oak was less overwhelming, the palate had abundance (or dominant) of chocolate /coffee and earthy note. The overall palate was more savoury than sweet, and the fruit character was a bit subdued by the
alcohol and oak, which was a bit off-balance to me.
I was wondering if I was making a right choice for stocking up this many 1999 vintage. -_-a As I have heard so much positive comments on the much more renowned 2001 vintage, but have never tasted it, pity I did not get any of those 01s.
June 18th, 2007 at 7:49 am
1999 is regarded as one of the best vintages for both Moss Wood and Margaret River. It should never taste like grapefruit! Something sounds wrong with that bottle and I would guess from the astringency it would be cork taint. Perception of alcohol and volatility (paint thinner) increase with temperature so make sure you serve fairly cool (at around 17c) and I am assuming your cellaring conditions are good so that the wine won’t get cooked. The bottle reviewed above was purchased from a notoriously warm bottleshop and taken to dinner. I am not sure it would be typical. This was an outstanding wine on release and I’ll review another bottle from my cellar probably late this or next year. All that being said you might find the alcohol too high in this style of wine for your personal taste and might be better off cellaring something else.
GW
June 19th, 2007 at 2:49 am
Thank you for your opinion GW
Perhaps you are right in the sense that I tend to favor the more subtle type of cabernets, with more fruit character as the primary attributes. Comparing the Moss Wood with the other Cabernets like Penfold’s Bin 707, Henschke Cyril, Katnook Odyssey (a bit too much oak, but still fruit driven), Orlando Jacaranda Ridge, Jacob’s Creek St. Hugo, De Bortoli Melba & Gulf Station, Giaconda Cabernet. I found that those ones I listed are little more subtle (mild or less powerful) than the Moss Wood, which are little more approachable to me. I guess I have to broaden the favors of my palate in order to accept a wider range of Cabernets.
In regards to the cellaring condition, unfortunately I do not have underground cellar or wine cabinets with temperature and humidity control. However, I am proud to have never cellared the wines that are not of best possible condition that I could offer. I tucked all the bottles (with original boxes) in the cupboard where there are no trace of light, as well as a takeaway box of water to alleviate the humidity issue. So I presume my wines could last a decade.
I wonder if the Moss Wood 2001 could be a little more mild than the 1999 as the beaume is a little lower? -_-a
June 19th, 2007 at 8:09 am
2001 Moss Wood is the same alcohol as the 1999 and if you don’t find 707 too strong for your tastes then you can handle pretty much any cabernet.
If you live in mainland Australia then I would not store boxes in a cupboard for more than a couple of years - at most. Drink them young while they are still good. Failing that buy a max-min thermometer and watch the temperature fluctuation you will see that it just gets way too hot inside over summer.
GW
June 19th, 2007 at 11:34 am
Once again, thank you GW
I live in Sydney, I mainly store the boxes and bottles in the cupboard of the living room and lounge room, which there is at least a layer or 2 of the double brick wall of 1 feet thick. The temperature is quite consistent throughout the year, it’s like autumn inside the house all year long. Should I get the really professional type of thermometer, or just the normal ones to tell the approximate ambient temperature? Also, is hygrometer necessary for monitoring the not so ideal cellar? -_-a
June 19th, 2007 at 11:49 am
Normal humidity inside a house will be fine.
I use these as they are quite inexpensive and pretty good (no commercial association).
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=A0151
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=A0157
GW
June 19th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
Sydney is almost sub-tropical in terms of humidity ! Far too warm to cellar passively for more than about 2 months outside of winter.
April 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Opened another one of these bought on release (and stored at 15-16c). Quite bretty, good to smell but the palate is wrung out with a metallic twang. Not a good look. Nice enough but below expectations - certainly the ones I had on release.
GW
April 19th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Crikey, another dud, Gary. My golly gosh, you’re havin a bad run of late. My sincere sympathies are with you, my friend. ;>P
April 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am
A friend of mine brought a 89 Moss Wood to lunch recently. Superb wine and about the third wine he has shared from the 80s. But drinking these wines (99) inside 12 years of bottling is madness. I know people say you get to watch the wine develop but if the wine has a decent pedigree and is from a good vintage then it is IMO a waste of money, especially since Cab Savs go into their famous hole 6-7 years after bootling.
April 20th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Yes…the brett is not going to vanish though. The palate was wrung out by that..not the mystic (or mythical) Cabernet hole. I have had the 2000 (twice), 1999, 1996 and 1990 recently and the 1996 is easily the best of them and drinking really well now.
GW
April 20th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Had a 96 a few months back and was stunnng. At the time I was fortunate to try it from barrel and Keith Mugford was very positive about a ‘best so far’ vintage. Not had a 2001 but others have remarked on its finesse and power (along with classic Moss Wood velvet texture).
April 21st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Neval “Blanc” was kind enough to sell me his 96s when he got the burgundy bug. After the 89 and 90 that I have had recently, I think I really need to wait another couple of years before opening this stuff. Rooman
May 6th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
In the last 12 months I have been fortunate enough to have consumed 1983,85,90,90 special reserve,91 and 95.Apart from 1 bottle of the 83 which was slightly corked the rest have been equivalent to drinking liquid velvet.My thoughts are that the 90 and 95 are the best so far and that a minimum of 10 years celaring is required.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
I have the 2005 on the bench for tasting.
GW
May 6th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Is that a short period of time between 04 and 05 releases or is that my imagination?
May 6th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Release is normally June/July.
GW
May 30th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Gary had the same experience this year on near year’s eve. Opened a bottle of 99 MW but it was a very hot and humid night in Perth (decanted an hour and a half). The wine just wasn’t quite on song but I defiantly sensed something there in the background. The alcohol was a bit volatile and the fruit did not really make it properly to the foreground. After saying that it did however show great depth, oak and round tannins. It caused two results for me. Ended by drinking very little of my exceptional vino during summer this year and thought this wine needed a lot more time cellared.
WARNING. DO NOT DRINK RED WINE IN WARM CONDITIONS (this should be compulsory on bottles greater than $25 in my opinion).
Sam