One of the gentlemen of Australian wine, Keith Mugford of Moss Wood, was in Melbourne the other day to host a tasting with John Newton of Vintage Cellars, which comprised a vertical line-up of every Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon released since 1975. This was the first time that Keith and his wife, Clare, had ever tasted such a comprehensive range of their star label, and it amply confirmed that Moss Wood thoroughly deserves its leadership place amongst Australia’s cabernet elite. Several interesting factors emerged from this tasting, namely: * Mugford is an extraordinarily honest guy. Few winemakers get up before such an audience and talk quite as candidly about wines that don’t quite meet their expectations. Even before the tasting began, Mugford had virtually written off several vintages. I deeply admire such brutal honesty in anyone, let alone a winemaker discussing his own product. * The great vintages are these: 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996. But the best might be still to come: the truly spectacular 2001 that Mugford rates alongside the 1975 (made by Bill Pannell). * Mugford is an absolute supporter of the screwcap as a wine seal. He is truly black-and-white on this. * Mugford is doing everything in his power to cap the alcoholic strength of his cabernets at 14%. Don’t let the forthcoming 2001 vintage pass you by.
